--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s not what you have but who you are…" description: "\"“It’s not what you have but who you are that counts.”\" — Frank Sonnenberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/frank-sonnenberg-2672_counts_it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-t_310857.jpg" --- # It’s not what you have but who you are that counts. ![“It’s not what you have but who you are that counts.” quote by Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/frank-sonnenberg-2672_counts_it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-t_310857.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/frank-sonnenberg-2672_counts_it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-t_310857.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/frank-sonnenberg-2672_counts_it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-t_310857.jpg) > ““It’s not what you have but who you are that counts.”” [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The value of a person lies in character, not possessions. **In simple terms:** Character matters more than wealth. Key Takeaway Focus on personal integrity. Themes self‑worth character values Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - personal relationships - leadership - community involvement Key Concepts identity self‑esteem Questions to Reflect On - How do you demonstrate your values daily? - What defines success for you? A Different Perspective Wealth can also reflect character. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Possessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possessions/) [Who-you-are-quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who-you-are-quotes/) ## Related quotes > [“What you have is momentary; who you are is forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/what-you-have-is-momentary-who-you-are-is-forever/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“At the end of the day, if you’re not proud of who you are and the way you choose to live your life, little…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/at-the-end-of-the-day-if-you-re-not-proud-of-who-you-are-and-the-way/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Highlight what counts and contributes the most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/highlight-what-counts-and-contributes-the-most/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [“It's not the content, but the form of thought that counts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/it-s-not-the-content-but-the-form-of-thought-that-counts/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [“Appreciate what you have instead of regret ting for something you don't have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rah-u/appreciate-what-you-have-instead-of-regret-ting-for-something-you-don/) rah\_U > [Happiness comes from appreciating what you have not from what you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happiness-comes-from-appreciating-what-you-have-not-from-what-you-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Dogs may be a man's best friends, but the proverb says, "Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/dogs-may-be-a-man-s-best-friends-but-the-proverb-says-tell-me-who/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [“Some people hate you because of your success, and they will always hate you even if you give them everything you possess.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouloud-benzadi/some-people-hate-you-because-of-your-success-and-they-will-always/) [Mouloud Benzadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouloud-benzadi/) > [“I am God's very own possession. I stood against sin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mac-canoza/i-am-god-s-very-own-possession-i-stood-against-sin/) [Mac Canoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mac-canoza/) > [“Sometimes the spirits want to possess the corporeal bodies. They also want to enjoy life in physical form.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/sometimes-the-spirits-want-to-possess-the-corporeal-bodies-they-also/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“Most people take health at face value. Quite often people understand that health is the most valuable possession only after they become seriously ill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eraldo-banovac/most-people-take-health-at-face-value-quite-often-people-understand/) [Eraldo Banovac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eraldo-banovac/) > [“Slavery is simply a possession of the mind, before the individual submits their spiritual component to the will of another person or deity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/slavery-is-simply-a-possession-of-the-mind-before-the-individual/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) ## More by Frank Sonnenberg > [“If you don’t try, you forfeit the opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/if-you-don-t-try-you-forfeit-the-opportunity/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Stepping outside your comfort zone isn’t a walk in the park, but the treasures that await you are like paths paved with gold.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/stepping-outside-your-comfort-zone-isn-t-a-walk-in-the-park-but-the/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Just because a person is silent doesn’t mean there’s no message.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/just-because-a-person-is-silent-doesn-t-mean-there-s-no-message/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Compromising your principles, even one time, is a terrible mistake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/compromising-your-principles-even-one-time-is-a-terrible-mistake/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Perfection may not be possible, but striving for excellence is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/perfection-may-not-be-possible-but-striving-for-excellence-is/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“In the school of life, every experience offers a lesson.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/in-the-school-of-life-every-experience-offers-a-lesson/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Kindness is the one gift that you can keep on giving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/kindness-is-the-one-gift-that-you-can-keep-on-giving/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Your life is determined by the sum of the choices that YOU make.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/your-life-is-determined-by-the-sum-of-the-choices-that-you-make/) [Frank Sonnenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/) > [“Mimicking a poor role model is like eating food past its due date. 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Someone can look wonderful in a sweatsuit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oleg-cassini/looks-health-and-elegance-are-what-counts-someone-can-look-wonderful/) [Oleg Cassini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oleg-cassini/) > [Ultimately, it's your talent that counts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/armaan-malik/ultimately-it-s-your-talent-that-counts/) [Armaan Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/armaan-malik/) > [In a painting, what counts is the unexpected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-braque/in-a-painting-what-counts-is-the-unexpected/) [Georges Braque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-braque/) > [Germany is not like Ireland or Denmark. It is a country where the domestic market counts much more than the external market.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-bofinger/germany-is-not-like-ireland-or-denmark-it-is-a-country-where-the/) [Peter Bofinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-bofinger/) > [It is not how much you make that counts, but how much money you keep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/it-is-not-how-much-you-make-that-counts-but-how-much-money-you-keep/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [James Salter has been a fighter pilot, a rogue, and a climber. He counts Robert Redford as a friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-rodrick/james-salter-has-been-a-fighter-pilot-a-rogue-and-a-climber-he-counts/) [Stephen Rodrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-rodrick/) > [Every writing teacher gives the subliminal message, every time they teach: 'Your life counts for something.' In no other subject that I know of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rosenblatt/every-writing-teacher-gives-the-subliminal-message-every-time-they/) [Roger Rosenblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rosenblatt/) Browse all 274 Counts quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s not what you have but who you are that counts.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Sonnenberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-that-counts/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Counts" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-that-counts/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/frank-sonnenberg-2672_counts_it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-t_310857.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/frank-sonnenberg-2672_counts_it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-t_310857.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24f/frank-sonnenberg-2672_counts_it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-t_310857.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It’s not what you have but who you are that counts.” — Frank Sonnenberg", "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": "Frank Sonnenberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-sonnenberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It’s not what you have but...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-that-counts/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-sonnenberg/it-s-not-what-you-have-but-who-you-are-that-counts/#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 } } ] } ```