--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not for us to forecast the future…" description: "\"It is not for us to forecast the future, but to shape it.\" — Antoine de Saint-Exupery" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_action_it-is-not-for-us-to-forecast-the-future_503907.png" --- # It is not for us to forecast the future, but to shape it. ![“It is not for us to forecast the future, but to shape it.” quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_action_it-is-not-for-us-to-forecast-the-future_503907.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_action_it-is-not-for-us-to-forecast-the-future_503907.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/451/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry-174_action_it-is-not-for-us-to-forecast-the-future_503907.png) > “It is not for us to forecast the future, but to shape it.” [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We cannot predict the future; we must actively shape it through our actions. **In simple terms:** We shape, not forecast, the future. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for creating tomorrow. Themes future agency responsibility Mood determined hopeful Type strategic inspirational When to use this quote - policy making - entrepreneurship - personal goal setting Key Concepts existentialism leadership Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to influence your future? - How do you handle unpredictable outcomes? A Different Perspective Uncertainty can cause fear; shaping requires courage. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Forecast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forecast/) [Future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Taking action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-action/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I find my past in my present, and from these forecast my future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amos-bronson-alcott/i-find-my-past-in-my-present-and-from-these-forecast-my-future/) [Amos Bronson Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amos-bronson-alcott/) > [Don't depend on recent or current figures to forecast future prices; remember that many others knew them before you did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-kahn/don-t-depend-on-recent-or-current-figures-to-forecast-future-prices/) [Irving Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-kahn/) > [The forecast today is love all around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-kelly/the-forecast-today-is-love-all-around/) [R. Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-kelly/) > [I believe is that we can forecast the "changing landscape of context," and thus get insight into when we are entering the danger zone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-l-casti/i-believe-is-that-we-can-forecast-the-changing-landscape-of-context/) [John L. Casti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-l-casti/) > [The future is not to be forecast, but created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/the-future-is-not-to-be-forecast-but-created/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [You realise Group Captain that this might be the most important weather forecast in history?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-realise-group-captain-that-this-might-be-the-most-important/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [You don't want to influence the same system you are trying to forecast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-silver/you-don-t-want-to-influence-the-same-system-you-are-trying-to-forecast/) [Nate Silver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-silver/) > [There is only one more thing for me to say: Please help make my forecast wrong. Together we could create a much better world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-rgen-randers/there-is-only-one-more-thing-for-me-to-say-please-help-make-my/) Jørgen Randers > [The most important thing is to forecast where customers are moving, and be in front of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/the-most-important-thing-is-to-forecast-where-customers-are-moving/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [Pundits forecast not because they know, but because they are asked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/pundits-forecast-not-because-they-know-but-because-they-are-asked/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Give me the character and I will forecast the event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/give-me-the-character-and-i-will-forecast-the-event/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [I will be able to forecast which side will be victorious and which defeated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/i-will-be-able-to-forecast-which-side-will-be-victorious-and-which/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The most reliable way to forecast the future is to try to understand the present.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-naisbitt/the-most-reliable-way-to-forecast-the-future-is-to-try-to-understand/) [John Naisbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-naisbitt/) > [People don't realize that we cannot forecast the future. What we can do is have probabilities of what causes what, but that's as far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/people-don-t-realize-that-we-cannot-forecast-the-future-what-we-can/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [I try not to forecast the future and look down the road as far as my wrestling, because it's there. All I have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/i-try-not-to-forecast-the-future-and-look-down-the-road-as-far-as-my/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) ## More by Antoine de Saint-Exupery > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/a-rock-pile-ceases-to-be-a-rock-pile-the-moment-a-single-man/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Treason implies responsibility for something, control over something, influence upon something, knowledge of something. Treason in our time is a proof of genius. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/treason-implies-responsibility-for-something-control-over-something/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/perfection-is-finally-attained-not-when-there-is-no-longer-anything/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“But for fear of disheartening them, we also spoke to them of disappointments and the bitter taste that rest has after a useless action.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/but-for-fear-of-disheartening-them-we-also-spoke-to-them-of/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“If you come at four in the afternoon, I'll begin to be happy by three.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-come-at-four-in-the-afternoon-i-ll-begin-to-be-happy-by-three/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Once we are bound together to our brothers by a common good that is outside us, then we can breathe. Experience teaches us that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/once-we-are-bound-together-to-our-brothers-by-a-common-good-that-is/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“The stars are beautiful, because of a flower that cannot be seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/the-stars-are-beautiful-because-of-a-flower-that-cannot-be-seen/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“You are beautiful but you are empty. One could not die for you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/you-are-beautiful-but-you-are-empty-one-could-not-die-for-you/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“And the fox said to the little prince: men have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/and-the-fox-said-to-the-little-prince-men-have-forgotten-this-truth/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/and-now-here-is-my-secret-a-very-simple-secret-it-is-only-with-the/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Flying is a man's job and its worries are a man's worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/flying-is-a-man-s-job-and-its-worries-are-a-man-s-worries/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“You are not at all like my rose," he said. "As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/you-are-not-at-all-like-my-rose-he-said-as-yet-you-are-nothing-no-one/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Loneliness is bred of a mind that has grown earth-bound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/loneliness-is-bred-of-a-mind-that-has-grown-earth-bound/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [“Stretched out before the fire I looked at the glowing fruit and said to myself that men did not know what an orange was.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/stretched-out-before-the-fire-i-looked-at-the-glowing-fruit-and-said/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) [Explore all 719 Antoine de Saint-Exupery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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