--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man of character finds a special…" description: "\"A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentiali..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76d/charles-de-gaulle-2714_adversity_a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attra_2784272.jpg" --- # A man of character finds a special attractiveness in… ![“A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities.” quote by Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76d/charles-de-gaulle-2714_adversity_a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attra_2784272.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76d/charles-de-gaulle-2714_adversity_a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attra_2784272.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76d/charles-de-gaulle-2714_adversity_a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attra_2784272.jpg) > “A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities.” [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Character is built through confronting difficulty; only by overcoming challenges can one realize true potential. **In simple terms:** Difficulty builds character and potential. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges to grow. Themes character adversity potential Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career setbacks - personal crises - skill development Key Concepts resilience self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - What challenges have shaped you? - How can you turn obstacles into opportunities? A Different Perspective Not all difficulty leads to growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Attractiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attractiveness/) [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Man Of Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-of-character/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) ## Related quotes > [Difficulty attracts the man of character because it is in embracing it that he realizes himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/difficulty-attracts-the-man-of-character-because-it-is-in-embracing/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back on himself. He imposes his own stamp of action, takes responsibility for it, makes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/faced-with-crisis-the-man-of-character-falls-back-on-himself-he/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Adversity attracts the man of character. He seeks out the bitter joy of responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/adversity-attracts-the-man-of-character-he-seeks-out-the-bitter-joy/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Faced with crisis, the man of character falls back upon himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/faced-with-crisis-the-man-of-character-falls-back-upon-himself/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [“Study changes a man, puts pride into him. You need it to get to the bottom of life. Without it you just skim the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-ferdinand-celine/study-changes-a-man-puts-pride-into-him-you-need-it-to-get-to-the/) [Louis-Ferdinand Celine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-ferdinand-celine/) > [The word of the man of character will go further than all the riches of a man without a good name...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-joseph/the-word-of-the-man-of-character-will-go-further-than-all-the-riches/) [Jesse Joseph](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-joseph/) > [Every man of character will have that character questioned. Every man of honor and courage will be faced with unjust criticism, but never forget…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/every-man-of-character-will-have-that-character-questioned-every-man/) [Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/) > [The man of character is the persistent man, the man who is faithful to his own word, his own convictions, his own affections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/the-man-of-character-is-the-persistent-man-the-man-who-is-faithful-to/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [A man of character will make himself worthy of any position he is given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/a-man-of-character-will-make-himself-worthy-of-any-position-he-is/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Character: The ability to carry out a worthy decision after the emotion of making that decision has passed. Character simply stated is doing what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyrum-w-smith/character-the-ability-to-carry-out-a-worthy-decision-after-the/) [Hyrum W. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyrum-w-smith/) > [A man of character in peace is a man of courage in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-glover/a-man-of-character-in-peace-is-a-man-of-courage-in-war/) James Glover > [Character has more effect than anything else. Let a number of loud-talking men take up a particular question, and one man of character, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-hubbel-chapin/character-has-more-effect-than-anything-else-let-a-number-of-loud/) [Edwin Hubbel Chapin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-hubbel-chapin/) > [If Diego Simeone is a gladiator, then Allegri is a man of character and his results speak for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-mandzukic/if-diego-simeone-is-a-gladiator-then-allegri-is-a-man-of-character/) [Mario Mandzukic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-mandzukic/) > [I want my legacy to be that I was a man of character, I was a God fearing man and somebody who bettered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-ward/i-want-my-legacy-to-be-that-i-was-a-man-of-character-i-was-a-god/) [Andre Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-ward/) > [The man of character, sensitive to the meaning of what he is doing, will know how to discover the ethical paths in the maze…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-warren/the-man-of-character-sensitive-to-the-meaning-of-what-he-is-doing/) [Earl Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-warren/) ## More by Charles de Gaulle > [Don't ask who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/don-t-ask-who-s-influenced-me-a-lion-is-made-up-of-the-lambs-he-s/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [“Have you ever seen a dictator on a run-off ballot? \[Responding to the charges of a dictatorial bent, after being forced into a run-off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/have-you-ever-seen-a-dictator-on-a-run-off-ballot-responding-to-the/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [The future does not belong to men...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/the-future-does-not-belong-to-men/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [We are not here to laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/we-are-not-here-to-laugh/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [France cannot be France without greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/france-cannot-be-france-without-greatness/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/i-have-come-to-the-conclusion-that-politics-are-too-serious-a-matter/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Authority doesn't work without prestige, or prestige without distance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/authority-doesn-t-work-without-prestige-or-prestige-without-distance/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Today we are crushed by the sheer weight of the mechanized forces hurled against us, but we can still look to the future in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/today-we-are-crushed-by-the-sheer-weight-of-the-mechanized-forces/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Difficulty attracts the man of character because it is in embracing it that he realizes himself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/difficulty-attracts-the-man-of-character-because-it-is-in-embracing/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Only by coming to grips with difficulty can you realize your full potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/only-by-coming-to-grips-with-difficulty-can-you-realize-your-full/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [How can you govern a country which has 246 varieties of cheese?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/how-can-you-govern-a-country-which-has-246-varieties-of-cheese/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/how-can-anyone-govern-a-nation-that-has-two-hundred-and-forty-six/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/silence-is-the-ultimate-weapon-of-power/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [Nothing builds authority up like silence, splendor of the strong and shelter of the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/nothing-builds-authority-up-like-silence-splendor-of-the-strong-and/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [As an adolescent I was convinced that France would have to go through gigantic trials, that the interest of life consisted in one day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/as-an-adolescent-i-was-convinced-that-france-would-have-to-go-through/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) [Explore all 153 Charles de Gaulle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) ## 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": "A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with difficulty that he can realize his potentialities.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles de Gaulle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attractiveness-in-difficulty-since/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adversity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attractiveness-in-difficulty-since/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76d/charles-de-gaulle-2714_adversity_a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attra_2784272.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76d/charles-de-gaulle-2714_adversity_a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attra_2784272.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/76d/charles-de-gaulle-2714_adversity_a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attra_2784272.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man of character finds a special attractiveness in difficulty, since it is only by coming to grips with…” — Charles de Gaulle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles de Gaulle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man of character finds a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attractiveness-in-difficulty-since/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/a-man-of-character-finds-a-special-attractiveness-in-difficulty-since/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```