--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It cannot be denied that outward…" description: "\"It cannot be denied that outward accidents conduce much to fortune, favor, opportunity, death of others, occasion fitting virtue; but chiefly, the mold..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/francis-bacon-297_accidents_it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-acciden_1841615.jpg" --- # It cannot be denied that outward accidents conduce much to… ![“It cannot be denied that outward accidents conduce much to fortune, favor, opportunity, death of others, occasion fitting virtue; but chiefly, the mold of a man's fortune is in his own hands” quote by Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/francis-bacon-297_accidents_it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-acciden_1841615.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/francis-bacon-297_accidents_it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-acciden_1841615.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/francis-bacon-297_accidents_it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-acciden_1841615.jpg) > “It cannot be denied that outward accidents conduce much to fortune, favor, opportunity, death of others, occasion fitting virtue; but chiefly, the mold of a man's fortune is in his own hands” [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage argues that while chance events affect life, ultimate control over one's destiny lies in personal effort and virtue. **In simple terms:** Fortune is shaped by personal effort. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your own fate. Themes personal agency fortune virtue Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - career advancement - financial planning - moral decision‑making - risk management Key Concepts philosophy ethics psychology Questions to Reflect On - What actions can you take to shape your future? - How do external factors influence your choices? A Different Perspective It may underestimate structural inequalities that limit agency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Accidents Conduce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents-conduce-2354741/) [Conduce Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conduce-fortune-2354742/) [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Denied](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/denied/) [Favors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/favors/) [Fitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitting/) [Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fortune/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Man Fortune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-fortune-531955/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mold/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Outward Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outward-accidents-2354743/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [Chiefly the mold of a man's fortune is in his own hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/chiefly-the-mold-of-a-man-s-fortune-is-in-his-own-hands/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [No man's fortune can be an end worthy of his being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/no-man-s-fortune-can-be-an-end-worthy-of-his-being/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The folly of one man is the fortune of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-folly-of-one-man-is-the-fortune-of-another/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [It's really tough to make a name for yourself without compromising and without fitting yourself into a real specific mold. When I made the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-groban/it-s-really-tough-to-make-a-name-for-yourself-without-compromising/) [Josh Groban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-groban/) > [I still think there is a huge emphasis on how women look, whether it's fitting a certain mold to play a certain type of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-collins/i-still-think-there-is-a-huge-emphasis-on-how-women-look-whether-it-s/) [Lily Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-collins/) > [“If you tempted a poor man with a fortune, who could blame the fellow for taking what he could?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/if-you-tempted-a-poor-man-with-a-fortune-who-could-blame-the-fellow/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [There is scarcely an instance of a man who has made a fortune by speculation and kept it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/there-is-scarcely-an-instance-of-a-man-who-has-made-a-fortune-by/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [“I heard of a man who made a fortune selling homing pigeons, and he only had the one!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-heard-of-a-man-who-made-a-fortune-selling-homing-pigeons-and-he/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [Health is the working man's fortune, and he ought to watch over it more than the capitalist over his largest investments. Health lightens the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/health-is-the-working-man-s-fortune-and-he-ought-to-watch-over-it/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [“Chiefly, the mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands, so why to look for excuses around.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/chiefly-the-mould-of-a-man-s-fortune-is-in-his-own-hands-so-why-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The mould of a man's fortune is in his own hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon-sr/the-mould-of-a-man-s-fortune-is-in-his-own-hands/) [Francis Bacon Sr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon-sr/) > [The truth brings no man a fortune.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/the-truth-brings-no-man-a-fortune/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [If a man's fortune does not fit him, it is like the shoe in the story; if too large it trips him up, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/if-a-man-s-fortune-does-not-fit-him-it-is-like-the-shoe-in-the-story/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“At the end of the street was a large glass box with a female mannequin inside it, dressed as a gypsy fortune teller. “Now,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/at-the-end-of-the-street-was-a-large-glass-box-with-a-female/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [This, more than anything else, is what I have never understood about your people. You can roll dice, and understand that the whole game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/this-more-than-anything-else-is-what-i-have-never-understood-about/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) ## More by Francis Bacon > [Princes are like heavenly bodies, which cause good or evil times, and which have much veneration, but no rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/princes-are-like-heavenly-bodies-which-cause-good-or-evil-times-and/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The best preservative to keep the mind in health is the faithful admonition of a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-best-preservative-to-keep-the-mind-in-health-is-the-faithful/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Since custom is the principal magistrate of man's life, let men by all means endeavor to obtain good customs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/since-custom-is-the-principal-magistrate-of-man-s-life-let-men-by-all/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Painting today is pure intuition and luck and taking advantage of what happens when you splash the stuff down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/painting-today-is-pure-intuition-and-luck-and-taking-advantage-of/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I usually accept bribes from both sides so that tainted money can never influence my decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-usually-accept-bribes-from-both-sides-so-that-tainted-money-can/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Much bending breaks the bow; much unbending the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/much-bending-breaks-the-bow-much-unbending-the-mind/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When Christ came into the world, peace was sung; and when He went out of the world, peace was bequeathed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-christ-came-into-the-world-peace-was-sung-and-when-he-went-out/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [...neither is it possible to discover the more remote and deeper parts of any science, if you stand but upon the level of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/neither-is-it-possible-to-discover-the-more-remote-and-deeper-parts/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The divisions of science are not like different lines that meet in one angle, but rather like the branches of trees that join in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-divisions-of-science-are-not-like-different-lines-that-meet-in/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The human understanding, when any preposition has been once laid down... forces everything else to add fresh support and confirmation; and although more cogent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-human-understanding-when-any-preposition-has-been-once-laid-down/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [I should have been, I don't know, a con-man, a robber or a prostitute. But it was vanity that made me choose painting, vanity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/i-should-have-been-i-don-t-know-a-con-man-a-robber-or-a-prostitute/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Wounds cannot be cured without searching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/wounds-cannot-be-cured-without-searching/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [The French are wiser than they seem, and the Spaniards seem wiser than they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/the-french-are-wiser-than-they-seem-and-the-spaniards-seem-wiser-than/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [When a man laughs at his troubles he loses a great many friends. They never forgive the loss of their prerogative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/when-a-man-laughs-at-his-troubles-he-loses-a-great-many-friends-they/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) > [Believing that I was born for the service of mankind, and regarding the care of the commonwealth as a kind of common property which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/believing-that-i-was-born-for-the-service-of-mankind-and-regarding/) [Francis Bacon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) [Explore all 711 Francis Bacon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/) ## More Accidents quotes > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [It was no accident, no coincidence, that the seasons came round and round year after year. It was the Lord speaking to us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-rivers/it-was-no-accident-no-coincidence-that-the-seasons-came-round-and/) [Francine Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-rivers/) > [No, I think most astronauts recognize that the space shuttle program is very high-risk, and are prepared for accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-ride/no-i-think-most-astronauts-recognize-that-the-space-shuttle-program/) [Sally Ride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-ride/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Good films are not made by accident, nor is good photography. You can have good things happen, on occasion, by accident that can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-willis/good-films-are-not-made-by-accident-nor-is-good-photography-you-can/) [Gordon Willis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-willis/) > [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [I made out with a homeless guy by accident. I had no idea -- he was really tan, he had no shoes on. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-made-out-with-a-homeless-guy-by-accident-i-had-no-idea-he-was/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Naturally I feel no shame in writing these things because of the time which separates the moment when they are written--when only I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-ernaux/naturally-i-feel-no-shame-in-writing-these-things-because-of-the-time/) [Annie Ernaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-ernaux/) > [In a city where you walk around, it's impossible to plan your day and your life as accidents will happen, you'll overhear things, bump…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schwartzman/in-a-city-where-you-walk-around-it-s-impossible-to-plan-your-day-and/) [Jason Schwartzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schwartzman/) > [I don't think it's by accident that I was first attracted to translating two French women poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-hacker/i-don-t-think-it-s-by-accident-that-i-was-first-attracted-to/) [Marilyn Hacker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-hacker/) > [Despite my mentors advice that I would never go to heaven fishing with a weighted nymph and a float, I took it up. (As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-bishop/despite-my-mentors-advice-that-i-would-never-go-to-heaven-fishing/) [Tony Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-bishop/) > [Dont stand outside in a lightning shower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padraig/dont-stand-outside-in-a-lightning-shower/) [Padraig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padraig/) > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [My musical career was an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/my-musical-career-was-an-accident/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) [Browse all 1,971 Accidents quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It cannot be denied that outward accidents conduce much to fortune, favor, opportunity, death of others, occasion fitting virtue; but chiefly, the mold of a man's fortune is in his own hands", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francis Bacon" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-accidents-conduce-much-to-fortune/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Accidents" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-accidents-conduce-much-to-fortune/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/francis-bacon-297_accidents_it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-acciden_1841615.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/francis-bacon-297_accidents_it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-acciden_1841615.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/francis-bacon-297_accidents_it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-acciden_1841615.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It cannot be denied that outward accidents conduce much to fortune, favor, opportunity, death of others…” — Francis Bacon", "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": "Francis Bacon", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-bacon/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It cannot be denied that outward...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-accidents-conduce-much-to-fortune/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-bacon/it-cannot-be-denied-that-outward-accidents-conduce-much-to-fortune/#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 } } ] } ```