Gulliver demonstrates his fundamentally practical personality throughout his incredible adventures. Whenever faced with a challenge—and there are many!—he meets it with what always seems to him a rational and sensible solution. His condition changes with each journey, and Gulliver continues to adapt depending on his newfound situation. A few specific examples follow.

The first is his disastrous solution to the fire in the Lilliputian palace. It is actually a very practical idea to douse the fire by urinating on it, although the resulting anger of the Lilliputians puts something of a damper on his success.

Another example of how Gulliver is practical in accepting his condition is his reaction to captivity by the giant Brobdingnagians. When the farmer's daughter takes a liking to him, Gulliver accepts her attentions with patience:

This young girl was so handy, that after I had once or twice pulled off my clothes before her, she was able to dress and undress me, though I never gave her that trouble when she would let me do either myself.

Although surely this was uncomfortable for Gulliver, a grown man, he did what he had to do in order to survive in his new environment, a doll among giants.

Gulliver also shows restraint and demonstrates an ability to think before acting. This is necessary when he is among the Houyhnhms, superintelligent talking horses. Instead of complaining about the vegetarian fare, he makes do with oats and milk. Although he craves meat and seeks it when he can, Gulliver has no trouble managing his newfound condition with relatively good humor.