--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are no circumstances, however…" description: "\"There are no circumstances, however unfortunate, that clever people do not extract some advantage from.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_advantage_there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfor_2396400.png" --- # There are no circumstances, however unfortunate, that… ![“There are no circumstances, however unfortunate, that clever people do not extract some advantage from.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_advantage_there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfor_2396400.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_advantage_there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfor_2396400.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_advantage_there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfor_2396400.png) > “There are no circumstances, however unfortunate, that clever people do not extract some advantage from.” [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clever people always find a way to benefit, despite dire situations. **In simple terms:** Smart people extract advantage from any circumstance. Key Takeaway Seek opportunity in adversity. Themes resourcefulness optimism strategy Mood reflective strategic Type philosophical practical When to use this quote - business crises - personal setbacks - negotiations - innovation Key Concepts cognitive flexibility problem solving Questions to Reflect On - When have you turned a bad situation into advantage? - What ethical lines should not be crossed? A Different Perspective May overlook moral implications of exploiting hardship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Circumstances Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances-unfortunate-5986732/) [Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever/) [Clever People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clever-people/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate/) [Unfortunate Clever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfortunate-clever-5986731/) ## Related quotes > [There are no accidents so unlucky from which clever people are not able to reap some advantage, and none so lucky that the foolish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-no-accidents-so-unlucky-from-which-clever-people-are-not/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Clever people will recognize and tolerate nothing but cleverness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-frederic-amiel/clever-people-will-recognize-and-tolerate-nothing-but-cleverness/) [Henri Frederic Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-frederic-amiel/) > [I was the subject of an experiment in love. I lived my life under her gaze, undergoing certain trials for her so that she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/i-was-the-subject-of-an-experiment-in-love-i-lived-my-life-under-her/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [Clever people can copy the handwriting of an artist - it's like forging a person's signature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-moore/clever-people-can-copy-the-handwriting-of-an-artist-it-s-like-forging/) [Henry Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-moore/) > [Humor is important. If you're going to tell any sort of realistic story, you're going to have to have humor in it, because people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/humor-is-important-if-you-re-going-to-tell-any-sort-of-realistic/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [As so often happens in philosophy, clever people accept a false general principle on a priori grounds and then devote endless labour and ingenuity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-d-broad/as-so-often-happens-in-philosophy-clever-people-accept-a-false/) [C. D. Broad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-d-broad/) > [“Clever people are entertaining and stupid ones give me such a pleasant sense of superiority.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwen-bristow/clever-people-are-entertaining-and-stupid-ones-give-me-such-a/) [Gwen Bristow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwen-bristow/) > [Capable people do not understand incapacity; clever people do not understand stupidity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/capable-people-do-not-understand-incapacity-clever-people-do-not/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [I wish I were one of those terribly clever people who, when they write their autobiographies, always say, when I was fifteen months old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-seaton/i-wish-i-were-one-of-those-terribly-clever-people-who-when-they-write/) [George Seaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-seaton/) > [Clever people are always the best conversations lexicon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/clever-people-are-always-the-best-conversations-lexicon/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The inspiration comes from everywhere, from what I grew up with. There's so much silliness and nonsense in the world that we regard as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/the-inspiration-comes-from-everywhere-from-what-i-grew-up-with-there/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [Sometimes all you need to do to win clever people over to a principle is to present it in the form of a shocking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/sometimes-all-you-need-to-do-to-win-clever-people-over-to-a-principle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I am trying to write novels for properly clever people, but I also want them to be proper novels that also stick in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophie-hannah/i-am-trying-to-write-novels-for-properly-clever-people-but-i-also/) [Sophie Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophie-hannah/) > [Man is a rational animal—so at least I have been told. … Aristotle, so far as I know, was the first man to proclaim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/man-is-a-rational-animal-so-at-least-i-have-been-told-aristotle-so/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [People that are conceited of their own merit take pride in being unfortunate, that themselves and others may think them considerable enough to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/people-that-are-conceited-of-their-own-merit-take-pride-in-being/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More by Francois de La Rochefoucauld > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-woman-is-faithful-to-her-first-lover-for-a-long-time-unless-she/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-persons-are-more-frequently-wrong-than-those-who-will-not-admit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-of-all-gifts-is-the-power-to-estimate-things-at-their/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-have-not-strength-enough-to-follow-our-reason-so-far-as-it-would/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 1,134 Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Advantage quotes > [Dogmatists have one advantage: they are poor listeners.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frans-de-waal/dogmatists-have-one-advantage-they-are-poor-listeners/) [Frans de Waal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frans-de-waal/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [All I ever wanted was an unfair advantage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-wynn/all-i-ever-wanted-was-an-unfair-advantage/) [Garrison Wynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-wynn/) > [Part of the advantage, and part of the result of trying to be a producer and director, are the practical things, you find. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-scott/part-of-the-advantage-and-part-of-the-result-of-trying-to-be-a/) [Campbell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-scott/) > [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/) [Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/) > [Like funny men, skilled diners are apparently perceived to have an evolutionary advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/like-funny-men-skilled-diners-are-apparently-perceived-to-have-an/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [For some reason when I decide to pursue something, I never have any fear that it won't happen. I think it's just ingrained in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-blatz/for-some-reason-when-i-decide-to-pursue-something-i-never-have-any/) [Kelly Blatz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-blatz/) > [I think I have good hands, so I try to use them to my advantage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bianca-andreescu/i-think-i-have-good-hands-so-i-try-to-use-them-to-my-advantage/) [Bianca Andreescu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bianca-andreescu/) > [My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rokia-traore/my-influences-are-jazz-blues-european-classical-music-they-are-rock/) [Rokia Traore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rokia-traore/) > [Baseball needs to put the steroids era behind it by having and enforcing tough rules against all kinds of artificial advantages, so that spring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/baseball-needs-to-put-the-steroids-era-behind-it-by-having-and/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [Daily contact with some teachers is itself all-sided ethical education for the child without a spoken precept. Here, too, the real advantage of male…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-stanley-hall/daily-contact-with-some-teachers-is-itself-all-sided-ethical/) [G. Stanley Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-stanley-hall/) > [ If \[Donald\] Trump throws 20 million off of health care, that's going to be - if he handles this badly - and it's very… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/if-donald-trump-throws-20-million-off-of-health-care-that-s-going-to/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/live-in-the-world-you-inhabit-look-upon-things-as-they-are-take-them/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padmasree-warrior/i-always-tell-women-that-the-fact-that-you-re-different-and-that-you/) [Padmasree Warrior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padmasree-warrior/) [Browse all 3,503 Advantage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/advantage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are no circumstances, however unfortunate, that clever people do not extract some advantage from.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfortunate-that-clever-people-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Advantage" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfortunate-that-clever-people-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_advantage_there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfor_2396400.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_advantage_there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfor_2396400.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ce/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_advantage_there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfor_2396400.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are no circumstances, however unfortunate, that clever people do not extract some advantage from.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "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": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are no circumstances, however unfortunate,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfortunate-that-clever-people-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-no-circumstances-however-unfortunate-that-clever-people-do/#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 } } ] } ```