Whosoever quarrels with his fate does not understand it, says Bettine; and among all her sayings she spoke none wiser.
—Lydia Maria Child (1802–80) American Abolitionist, Writer
Fate steals along with silent tread, Found oftenest in what least we dread; Frowns in the storm with angry brow, But in the sunshine strikes the blow.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves; we are underlings.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The bitterest tragic element in life to be derived from an intellectual source is the belief in a brute Fate or Destiny.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Chance is a word devoid of sense, nothing can exist without a cause.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
Every man is the architect of his own future.
—Anonymous
When an inner situation is not made conscious, it happens outside, as fate.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
If fate means you to lose, give him a good fight anyhow.
—William McFee (1881–1966) English Writer
Actions are the seed of fate deeds grow into destiny.
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) American Head of State
A bald man scorched by the rays on sun on his head, seeking shade, guided by his fate, took shelter under a palm tree hoping to get some relief. Even there, a big fruit fell from the tree, with a loud noise broke his head and killed him. Usually, troubles always follow an unlucky person wherever he goes.
—Neetishatakam
There is a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them as we will.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
How a person masters his fate is more important than what his fate is.
—Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835) German Philosopher, Linguist, Statesman
Full of wisdom are the ordinations of fate.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Fortune is like the market, where many times, if you can stay a little, the price will fall.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Fate keeps on happening.
—Anita Loos (1888–1981) American Actor, Novelist, Screenwriter
Men at sometime are the masters of their fate.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
The lofty pine is oftenest shaken by the winds; High towers fall with a heavier crash; And the lightning strikes the highest mountain.
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
Just because fate doesn’t deal you the right cards, it doesn’t mean you should give up. It just means you have to play the cards you get to their maximum potential.
—Les Brown
Destiny: A tyrant’s authority for crime and a fool’s excuse for failure.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
Our wills and fates do so contrary run, that our devices still are overthrown; our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
—Anonymous
Chance happens to all, but to turn chance to account is the gift of few.
—Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton (1803–73) British Novelist, Poet, Politician
A person must stand very tall to see their own fate.
—Danish Proverb
What separates the winners from the losers is how a person reacts to each new twist of fate.
—Donald Trump (b.1946) American Businessperson, Head of State
It is a singular fact that many men of action incline to the theory of fatalism, while the greater part of men of thought believe in a divine providence.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
No man ever wetted clay and then left it, as if there would be bricks by chance and fortune.
—Plutarch (c.46–c.120 CE) Greek Biographer, Philosopher
Throw a lucky man into the sea, and he will come up with a fish in his mouth.
—Arabic Proverb
I often feel, and ever more deeply I realize, that fate and character are the same conception.
—Novalis (1772–1801) German Romantic Poet, Novelist
Statesman only talk of fate when they have blundered.
—Benito Mussolini (1883–1945) Italian Head of State, Politician
Whatever the universal nature assigns to any man at any time is for the good of that man at that time.
—Marcus Aurelius (121–180) Emperor of Rome, Stoic Philosopher