--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What is opportunity to a man who can't…" description: "\"What is opportunity to a man who can't use it.\" — George Eliot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/george-eliot-84_greatness_what-is-opportunity-to-a-man-who-can-t-u_276181.png" --- # What is opportunity to a man who can't use it. ![“What is opportunity to a man who can't use it.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/george-eliot-84_greatness_what-is-opportunity-to-a-man-who-can-t-u_276181.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/george-eliot-84_greatness_what-is-opportunity-to-a-man-who-can-t-u_276181.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14e/george-eliot-84_greatness_what-is-opportunity-to-a-man-who-can-t-u_276181.png) > “What is opportunity to a man who can't use it.” [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Opportunity is meaningless to those unable to act on it; usefulness requires capability. **In simple terms:** Opportunity needs ability to use it. Key Takeaway Develop skills to seize chances. Themes opportunity agency capability social criticism Mood critical thought‑provoking Type social philosophical When to use this quote - career planning - education - policy making - entrepreneurship Key Concepts Economic constraints personal agency Questions to Reflect On - What barriers prevent you from using opportunities? - How can society enable those lacking resources? A Different Perspective Not everyone can change circumstances despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) [Opportunity Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity-man-388880/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) ## Related quotes > [What is opportunity to the man who can't use it? An unfecundated egg, which the waves of time wash away into nonentity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/what-is-opportunity-to-the-man-who-can-t-use-it-an-unfecundated-egg/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [But what is opportunity to the man who can't use it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-what-is-opportunity-to-the-man-who-can-t-use-it/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [What is opportunity to the man who cant use it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/what-is-opportunity-to-the-man-who-cant-use-it/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Hitler had an unprecedented opportunity, such as no man will ever again be offered so easily, to create something entirely new. 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I use the gift he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattie-stepanek/i-feel-that-god-has-given-me-a-very-special-opportunity-that-i-should/) [Mattie Stepanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mattie-stepanek/) > [I have an opportunity to look kids in the face and let them know it's not about where you come from; it's how you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demarcus-ware/i-have-an-opportunity-to-look-kids-in-the-face-and-let-them-know-it-s/) [DeMarcus Ware](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demarcus-ware/) ## More by George Eliot > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [But the effect of her being on those around her was incalculably diffusive: for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/but-the-effect-of-her-being-on-those-around-her-was-incalculably/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Scepticismcan never be thoroughly applied, else life would come to a standstill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/scepticismcan-never-be-thoroughly-applied-else-life-would-come-to-a/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Under every guilty secret there is hidden a brood of guilty wishes, whose unwholesome infecting life is cherished by the darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/under-every-guilty-secret-there-is-hidden-a-brood-of-guilty-wishes/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The most powerful movement of feeling with a liturgy is the prayer which seeks for nothing special, but is a yearning to escape from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/the-most-powerful-movement-of-feeling-with-a-liturgy-is-the-prayer/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [ “\[W\]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves-to-the-discovery-that-some-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“Mr. Casaubon had never had a strong bodily frame, and his soul was sensitive without being enthusiastic: it was too languid to thrill out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/mr-casaubon-had-never-had-a-strong-bodily-frame-and-his-soul-was/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [“... she took her husband's jokes and joviality as patiently as everything else, considering that "men would be so", and viewing the stronger sex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/she-took-her-husband-s-jokes-and-joviality-as-patiently-as-everything/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [What is opportunity to the man who can't use it? 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