Gradually, Then Suddenly

The bankruptcy principle whether it happens nationally or personally.

Something wicked this way is coming.

It’s the bankruptcy of the United States government.

It’s happening gradually, but one day, it will descend on us suddenly.

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Etymology & Origin of the Phrase

The phrase ‘Gradually, then suddenly’ originates from Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, where the character Mike is asked how he went bankrupt:

‘Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.’

This line—both dry and devastating—became a literary shorthand for the slow erosion of financial, moral, or political stability before a rapid collapse.