--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Who hath not known ill fortune, never…" description: "\"Who hath not known ill fortune, never knew himself, or his own virtue.\" — David Mallet" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/david-mallet-45552_fortune_who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-kne_1690886.jpg" --- # Who hath not known ill fortune, never knew himself, or his… ![“Who hath not known ill fortune, never knew himself, or his own virtue.” quote by David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/david-mallet-45552_fortune_who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-kne_1690886.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/david-mallet-45552_fortune_who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-kne_1690886.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/david-mallet-45552_fortune_who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-kne_1690886.jpg) > “Who hath not known ill fortune, never knew himself, or his own virtue.” [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑knowledge arises only after experiencing hardship; adversity reveals character and virtue. **In simple terms:** Hardship reveals true self. Key Takeaway Embrace challenges to discover strengths. Themes self‑discovery adversity virtue Mood reflective serene Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - counselling - resilience Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What adversity have you avoided? - How can suffering be a teacher? A Different Perspective Hardship may also cause lasting trauma, limiting insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [Hath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hath/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [Love hath never known a law beyond its own sweet will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/love-hath-never-known-a-law-beyond-its-own-sweet-will/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [The masters painted for joy, and knew not that virtue had gone out of them. They could not paint the like in cold blood.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-masters-painted-for-joy-and-knew-not-that-virtue-had-gone-out-of/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Through this same man and me hath all this war been wrought, and the death of the most noblest knights of the world; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malory/through-this-same-man-and-me-hath-all-this-war-been-wrought-and-the/) [Thomas Malory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malory/) > [The heart in man signifieth the heat or the element of fire, and it is also the heat; for the heat in the whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-bohme/the-heart-in-man-signifieth-the-heat-or-the-element-of-fire-and-it-is/) [Jakob Bohme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-bohme/) > [Hath the spirit of all beauty Kissed you in the path of duty?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-katharine-green/hath-the-spirit-of-all-beauty-kissed-you-in-the-path-of-duty/) [Anna Katharine Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-katharine-green/) > [Malice is of a low stature, but it hath very long arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/malice-is-of-a-low-stature-but-it-hath-very-long-arms/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [A true Christian, who is born anew of the Spirit of Christ, is in the simplicity of Christ, and hath no strife or contention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-bohme/a-true-christian-who-is-born-anew-of-the-spirit-of-christ-is-in-the/) [Jakob Bohme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-bohme/) > [If a man say, 'I love God,' and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-the-apostle/if-a-man-say-i-love-god-and-hateth-his-brother-he-is-a-liar-for-he/) [John the Apostle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-the-apostle/) > [If Love dwelt not in Trouble, it could have nothing to love. But its substance which it loves, namely the poor soul, being in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-bohme/if-love-dwelt-not-in-trouble-it-could-have-nothing-to-love-but-its/) [Jakob Bohme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-bohme/) > [Night hath a thousand eyes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lyly/night-hath-a-thousand-eyes/) [John Lyly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lyly/) > [Love is a passion that hath friends in the garrison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-savile/love-is-a-passion-that-hath-friends-in-the-garrison/) [George Savile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-savile/) > [God hath given you one face, and you make yourselves another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/god-hath-given-you-one-face-and-you-make-yourselves-another/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The Royal Navy of England hath ever been its greatest defense and ornament; it is its ancient and natural strength; the floating bulwark of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blackstone/the-royal-navy-of-england-hath-ever-been-its-greatest-defense-and/) [William Blackstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blackstone/) > [There is a number among us, young and old, of all sorts almost among us, that swarm up and down towns, and woods, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-shepard/there-is-a-number-among-us-young-and-old-of-all-sorts-almost-among-us/) Thomas Shepard > [Be patient, my soul: thou hath suffered worse than this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-holcroft/be-patient-my-soul-thou-hath-suffered-worse-than-this/) [Thomas Holcroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-holcroft/) ## More by David Mallet > [Uncertainty! fell demon of our fears! The human soul that can support despair, supports not thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/uncertainty-fell-demon-of-our-fears-the-human-soul-that-can-support/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) > [What proves the hero truly great,Is never, never to despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/what-proves-the-hero-truly-great-is-never-never-to-despair/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) > [O grant me, Heaven, a middle state, Neither too humble nor too great; More than enough, for nature's ends, With something left to treat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/o-grant-me-heaven-a-middle-state-neither-too-humble-nor-too-great/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) > [A sovereign's great example forms a people; the public breast is noble or vile as he inspires it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/a-sovereign-s-great-example-forms-a-people-the-public-breast-is-noble/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) > [True valor, on virtue founded strong, meets all events alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/true-valor-on-virtue-founded-strong-meets-all-events-alike/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) > [The wailing owl Screams solitary to the mournful moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/the-wailing-owl-screams-solitary-to-the-mournful-moon/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) > [Affliction is the wholesome soil of virtue, where patience, honor, sweet humility, and calm fortitude, take root and strongly flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/affliction-is-the-wholesome-soil-of-virtue-where-patience-honor-sweet/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) > [I courted fame but as a spur to brave and honest deeds; who despises fame will soon renounce the virtues that deserve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/i-courted-fame-but-as-a-spur-to-brave-and-honest-deeds-who-despises/) [David Mallet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) [Explore all 9 David Mallet quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/) ## More Fortune quotes > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [What has drug addiction done for me? It's cost me my career, my fortune and basically my sex life when I found out I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbin-crosby/what-has-drug-addiction-done-for-me-it-s-cost-me-my-career-my-fortune/) Robbin Crosby > [From these inconsiderable attempts, some idea may be formed with what success, should Fortune afford an opportunity, I am likely to treat matters of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giraldus-cambrensis/from-these-inconsiderable-attempts-some-idea-may-be-formed-with-what/) [Giraldus Cambrensis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giraldus-cambrensis/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You have a little bit of talent, a certain amount of good fortune and a lot of hard work in pursuit of whatever truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-sutherland/you-have-a-little-bit-of-talent-a-certain-amount-of-good-fortune-and/) [Donald Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-sutherland/) > [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/) > [No state of society or laws can render men so much alike but that education, fortune, and tastes will interpose some differences between them;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/no-state-of-society-or-laws-can-render-men-so-much-alike-but-that/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [A great JRPG captures that feeling of going on an unusual adventure, of bringing a ragtag group of heroes from famine to fortune or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schreier/a-great-jrpg-captures-that-feeling-of-going-on-an-unusual-adventure/) [Jason Schreier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schreier/) > [A writer can make a fortune in America, but he can't make a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-michener/a-writer-can-make-a-fortune-in-america-but-he-can-t-make-a-living/) [James A. Michener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-michener/) > [We make our fortunes and we call them fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/we-make-our-fortunes-and-we-call-them-fate/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [What is taken from the fortune, also, may haply be so much lifted from the soul. The greatness of a loss, as the proverb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/what-is-taken-from-the-fortune-also-may-haply-be-so-much-lifted-from/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [“We can so educate the will power that it will focus the thoughts upon the bright side of things, and upon objects which elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-can-so-educate-the-will-power-that-it-will-focus-the-thoughts-upon/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Browse all 2,945 Fortune quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Who hath not known ill fortune, never knew himself, or his own virtue.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Mallet" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-knew-himself-or-his-own-virtue/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fortune" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-knew-himself-or-his-own-virtue/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/david-mallet-45552_fortune_who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-kne_1690886.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/david-mallet-45552_fortune_who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-kne_1690886.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be7/david-mallet-45552_fortune_who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-kne_1690886.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Who hath not known ill fortune, never knew himself, or his own virtue.” — David Mallet", "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": "David Mallet", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mallet/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Who hath not known ill fortune,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-knew-himself-or-his-own-virtue/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mallet/who-hath-not-known-ill-fortune-never-knew-himself-or-his-own-virtue/#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 } } ] } ```