I Did Not Make It Up.
It is easy to confuse adverse and averse
but their meanings are totally different.
‘Adverse’ can never be applied to humans but is often used to
describe circumstances, such as ‘adverse weather conditions.’
“Live as brave men; and if fortune is adverse,
front its blows with brave hearts.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Adverse is the root of adversarial.
‘Averse’ means unwilling or reluctant. Averse is always followed by ‘to’
and it always applies to a person, such as, “I am very averse to
bringing myself forward in print.” – Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
Averse is the root of aversion. Shelley could just as easily have said,
“I have a deep aversion to bringing myself forward in print.”
Shelley would never have said,
“I am adverse to bringing myself forward in print.”
“I am adverse to bringing myself forward in print.”