---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You gotta stop wearing your wishbone…"
description: "\"“You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.” This”\" — Elizabeth Gilbert"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/elizabeth-gilbert-131_wishbone_you-gotta-stop-wearing-your-wishbone-whe_2688874.jpg"
---

#  You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone…

![“You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.” This” quote by Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/elizabeth-gilbert-131_wishbone_you-gotta-stop-wearing-your-wishbone-whe_2688874.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/elizabeth-gilbert-131_wishbone_you-gotta-stop-wearing-your-wishbone-whe_2688874.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c0a/elizabeth-gilbert-131_wishbone_you-gotta-stop-wearing-your-wishbone-whe_2688874.jpg)

> ““You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.” This””

[Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

One should prioritize inner strength over superficial wishes; true support comes from personal backbone, not wishful thinking.

**In simple terms:** Strength matters more than wishes.

Key Takeaway

Build inner resilience.

Themes

strength wishbone backbone self-reliance

Mood

motivational reflective

Type

self-help inspirational

When to use this quote

- career challenges
- personal goals
- health decisions

Key Concepts

psychology self-improvement metaphor

Questions to Reflect On

- What are you relying on for support?
- How can you strengthen your foundation?

A Different Perspective

Wishful thinking cannot replace real effort.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Wishbone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wishbone/)

## Related quotes

> [Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/stop-wearing-your-wishbone-where-your-backbone-ought-to-be/)

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> [“You’re wishin’ too much, baby. You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/you-re-wishin-too-much-baby-you-gotta-stop-wearing-your-wishbone/)

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> [Many a man has failed because he had his wishbone where his backbone should have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/many-a-man-has-failed-because-he-had-his-wishbone-where-his-backbone/)

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> [“To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-thrive-in-life-you-need-three-bones-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a/)

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> [To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a/)

[Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/)

> [To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/to-succeed-in-life-you-need-three-things-a-wishbone-a-backbone-and-a-3/)

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## More Wishbone quotes

> [“Never grow a wishbone where your backbone ought to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clementine-paddleford/never-grow-a-wishbone-where-your-backbone-ought-to-be/)

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> [We don't need a wishbone...we need a backbone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/we-don-t-need-a-wishbone-we-need-a-backbone/)

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> [A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body - the wishbone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-frost/a-person-will-sometimes-devote-all-his-life-to-the-development-of-one/)

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> [“Some people develop a wishbone where their backbone should be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/some-people-develop-a-wishbone-where-their-backbone-should-be/)

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> [Put your backbone where your wishbone is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-seth/put-your-backbone-where-your-wishbone-is/)

[Vikram Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-seth/)

> [“Left wing...Right wing...it's so limited; why doesn't it ever occur to any of them that what one is really longing for is the wishbone?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-struther/left-wing-right-wing-it-s-so-limited-why-doesn-t-it-ever-occur-to-any/)

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[Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/)

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> [Many a man has failed because he had his wishbone where his backbone should have been.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/many-a-man-has-failed-because-he-had-his-wishbone-where-his-backbone/)

[Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/)

> [Never grow a wishbone, daughter, where you backbone ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clementine-paddleford/never-grow-a-wishbone-daughter-where-you-backbone-ought-to-be/)

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[Clementine Paddleford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clementine-paddleford/)

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