--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't…" description: "\"“Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the thi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/arthur-golden-1813_adversity_adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-i-don-t_897083.jpg" --- # Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it… ![“Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be.” quote by Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/arthur-golden-1813_adversity_adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-i-don-t_897083.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/arthur-golden-1813_adversity_adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-i-don-t_897083.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3b3/arthur-golden-1813_adversity_adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-i-don-t_897083.jpg) > ““Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be.”” [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Adversity strips away superficialities, revealing core character; hardship uncovers true self beyond aspirations. **In simple terms:** Hardship reveals true self. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges to discover authenticity. Themes adversity self‑discovery resilience identity growth Mood reflective inspiring Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career setbacks - health crises - relationship trials Key Concepts Character testing inner truth personal evolution Questions to Reflect On - What core qualities emerge under pressure? - How can you protect yourself while growing? A Different Perspective Adversity can be overwhelming and may cause lasting trauma. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ## Related quotes > [Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-i-don-t-mean-just-that-it-holds-us/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that we see ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-it-tears-away-from-us-all-but-the/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Adversity is like the period of the rain. . . cold, comfortless, unfriendly to people and to animals; yet from that season have their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-scott/adversity-is-like-the-period-of-the-rain-cold-comfortless-unfriendly/) [Walter Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-scott/) > [“Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sweet-are-the-uses-of-adversity-which-like-the-toad-ugly-and-venomous/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“When we have graciously endured every adversity, we become like a shining diamond.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/when-we-have-graciously-endured-every-adversity-we-become-like-a/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Man must be able to recover, to win out, triumph over adversity. And I don't mean just the little adversity like paying his room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-capra/man-must-be-able-to-recover-to-win-out-triumph-over-adversity-and-i/) [Frank Capra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-capra/) > [Dealing with adversity is like preparing for surgery. By putting our faith in what the doctor has said, we believe we will be better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/dealing-with-adversity-is-like-preparing-for-surgery-by-putting-our/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) > [Sweet are the uses of adversity which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/sweet-are-the-uses-of-adversity-which-like-the-toad-ugly-and-venomous-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“And as for her sister,he wished a strong wind would just blow her away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/and-as-for-her-sister-he-wished-a-strong-wind-would-just-blow-her-away/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) > [A good quotation is a very strong wind; it can change a man's direction!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/a-good-quotation-is-a-very-strong-wind-it-can-change-a-man-s-direction/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [May is a very early time in the year and the weather is usually bad. You cannot run a fast mile race if there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/may-is-a-very-early-time-in-the-year-and-the-weather-is-usually-bad/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [The wind was too strong to wind the sail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/the-wind-was-too-strong-to-wind-the-sail/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [When I perform outside, the major problem that could arise is strong wind.I spend months preparing for the types of wind that occur in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/when-i-perform-outside-the-major-problem-that-could-arise-is-strong/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [“He scattered his aitches as a fountain its sprays in a strong wind. He was very earnest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse/he-scattered-his-aitches-as-a-fountain-its-sprays-in-a-strong-wind-he/) [P.G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse/) > [Writing a first draft is like trying to build a house in a strong wind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/writing-a-first-draft-is-like-trying-to-build-a-house-in-a-strong-wind/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) ## More by Arthur Golden > [He was like a song I'd heard once in fragments but had been singing in my mind ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/he-was-like-a-song-i-d-heard-once-in-fragments-but-had-been-singing/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Sometimes we get through adversity only by imagining what the world might be like if our dreams should ever come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/sometimes-we-get-through-adversity-only-by-imagining-what-the-world/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [When we fight upstream against a rocky undercurrent, every foothold takes on a kind of urgency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/when-we-fight-upstream-against-a-rocky-undercurrent-every-foothold/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Never give up; for even rivers someday wash dams away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/never-give-up-for-even-rivers-someday-wash-dams-away/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“Oh I'm sure you're right," Auntie said. "Probably she's just as you say. But she looks to me like a very clever girl, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/oh-i-m-sure-you-re-right-auntie-said-probably-she-s-just-as-you-say/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I'm not sure this will make sense to you, but I felt as though I'd turned around to look in a different direction, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-m-not-sure-this-will-make-sense-to-you-but-i-felt-as-though-i-d/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“We human beings are only a part of something very much larger. When we walk along, we may crush a beetle or simply cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/we-human-beings-are-only-a-part-of-something-very-much-larger-when-we/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [If you aren't the woman I think you are, then this isn't the world I thought it was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/if-you-aren-t-the-woman-i-think-you-are-then-this-isn-t-the-world-i/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [You know, the men go to tea houses with the expectation that they will have a nice quiet evening and not read about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/you-know-the-men-go-to-tea-houses-with-the-expectation-that-they-will/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/adversity-is-like-a-strong-wind-i-don-t-mean-just-that-it-holds-us/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“Most nights I lay on my futon I was sick with anxiety, and felt a pit inside myself as big and empty as if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/most-nights-i-lay-on-my-futon-i-was-sick-with-anxiety-and-felt-a-pit/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [Of course, a sign doesn't mean anything unless you know how to interpret it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/of-course-a-sign-doesn-t-mean-anything-unless-you-know-how-to/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I knew even then that she was right. An en is a karmic bond lasting a lifetime. Nowadays many people seem to believe their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-knew-even-then-that-she-was-right-an-en-is-a-karmic-bond-lasting-a/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [I didn't say to act dead. I said act helpless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-didn-t-say-to-act-dead-i-said-act-helpless/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) > [“I'm not sure this will make sense to you but I felt as though I'd turned around to look in a different direction so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-golden/i-m-not-sure-this-will-make-sense-to-you-but-i-felt-as-though-i-d-2/) [Arthur Golden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) [Explore all 190 Arthur Golden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-golden/) ## More Adversity quotes > [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/) [Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/) > [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/) [Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/) > [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/) [George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/) > [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/) [Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/) > [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/) [Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/) > [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/) [Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/) > [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/) James Buckham Kennedy > [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/) [Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/) > [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/) [Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/) > [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/) [Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/) > [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/) S.E. SEVER > [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. 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