Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Emerson suggests nature aligns a person's fortune with their character.
In plain terms
Your life outcomes match your personality traits.
What can you take from it?
Character determines your fortune.

Where it applies

  • assessing life
  • understanding success
  • planning career

Putting it to work

  • align character with goals
  • understand self
  • cultivate traits

Questions to consider

  • Does your fortune match your character?
  • How does nature shape us?

Another view

Luck and privilege often play larger roles than character.

More from Ralph Waldo Emerson

  1. In different hours, a man represents each of several of his ancestors, as if there were seven or eight of us rolled up in each man's skin, - seven or eight anc…

    Permalink to quote #191
  2. All the great speakers were bad speakers at first.

    Permalink to quote #193
  3. Whatever limits us we call Fate.

    Permalink to quote #190

Related quotes

  1. How often are we forced to charge fortune with partiality towards the unjust!

    Henry ClayHenry Clay quote #1
  2. Vainly the fowler's eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along.

    William Cullen BryantWilliam Cullen Bryant quote #1
  3. I am parshial to ladies if they are nice I suppose it is my nature. I am not quite a gentleman but you would hardly notice it but cant be helped anyhow.

    Daisy AshfordDaisy Ashford quote #2