--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is what a man thinks of himself that…" description: "\"It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate.\" — Henry David Thoreau" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/henry-david-thoreau-20_destiny_it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that_1431254.jpg" --- # It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines… ![“It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/henry-david-thoreau-20_destiny_it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that_1431254.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/henry-david-thoreau-20_destiny_it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that_1431254.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/henry-david-thoreau-20_destiny_it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that_1431254.jpg) > “It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑perception shapes destiny; believing in oneself guides life’s direction. **In simple terms:** Your view of yourself determines your fate. Key Takeaway Build confidence to steer your future. Themes self‑esteem destiny mindset personal growth Mood reflective philosophical Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - career decisions - relationships - health goals - creative projects Key Concepts philosophy psychology agency Questions to Reflect On - What beliefs limit your potential? - How does self‑image affect your choices? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can blind you to realistic limits. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Determines Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determines-fate-1551743/) [Fate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fate/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Man Thinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-thinks/) [Really Determines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-determines-5097135/) [Thinks Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinks-really-2333694/) ## Related quotes > [A man really determines himself by what he does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vin-scully/a-man-really-determines-himself-by-what-he-does/) [Vin Scully](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vin-scully/) > [Our mental attitude is the x factor that determines our fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/our-mental-attitude-is-the-x-factor-that-determines-our-fate/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [What anybody else thinks about you is really of no consequence. It's what you think of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-coverdale/what-anybody-else-thinks-about-you-is-really-of-no-consequence-it-s/) [David Coverdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-coverdale/) > [I've always been a person who thinks it's really important to better themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-cerra/i-ve-always-been-a-person-who-thinks-it-s-really-important-to-better/) [Erica Cerra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-cerra/) > [Whatever happens, I just hope he looks back and thinks 'She must have really liked me, I should have never of let her go.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whatever-happens-i-just-hope-he-looks-back-and-thinks-she-must-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A wise one determines his own fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-morris/a-wise-one-determines-his-own-fate/) [Janet Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-morris/) > [Not what we experience, but how we perceive what we experience, determines our fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/not-what-we-experience-but-how-we-perceive-what-we-experience/) [Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-von-ebner-eschenbach/) > [It isn't the head but the stomach that determines the fate of the stockpicker.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-lynch/it-isn-t-the-head-but-the-stomach-that-determines-the-fate-of-the/) [Peter Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-lynch/) > [Heart is what drives us and determines our fate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/heart-is-what-drives-us-and-determines-our-fate/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [“Upon the conduct of each determines the fate of all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/upon-the-conduct-of-each-determines-the-fate-of-all/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [Fate and free will are equally powerful forces but I consider free will to be more important as it is your free will that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vyasa/fate-and-free-will-are-equally-powerful-forces-but-i-consider-free/) [Vyasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vyasa/) > [However, our fates at least are social. Our courses do not diverge; but as the web of destiny is woven it is fulled, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/however-our-fates-at-least-are-social-our-courses-do-not-diverge-but/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As a man thinks of himself, so he is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-a-man-thinks-of-himself-so-he-is/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“What a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or rather indicates, his fate.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that-it-is-which-determines-or-rather/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion. what a man thinks of himself, that it is which determines, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/public-opinion-is-a-weak-tyrant-compared-with-our-own-private-opinion/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Destiny quotes > [... War on the destiny of man! Doom on the sun! Before death takes you, O take back this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-on-the-destiny-of-man-doom-on-the-sun-before-death-takes-you-o/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anatomy is destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/anatomy-is-destiny/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“To be a Sufi is to detach from fixed ideas and from preconceptions; and not to try to avoid what is your lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/to-be-a-sufi-is-to-detach-from-fixed-ideas-and-from-preconceptions/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [ Man blindly works the will of fate. \[Ger., Blindlings that er blos den Willen des Geschickes.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-martin-wieland/man-blindly-works-the-will-of-fate-ger-blindlings-that-er-blos-den/) [Christoph Martin Wieland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-martin-wieland/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [“It's morning now, and I miss the soft rasp of her voice already. Ugh. I'm in trouble, aren't I?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-shand/it-s-morning-now-and-i-miss-the-soft-rasp-of-her-voice-already-ugh-i/) [Pat Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-shand/) > [You can't choose what stays and what stays away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/you-can-t-choose-what-stays-and-what-stays-away/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [“Failing to meet your true destiny is a tragic act of free will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/failing-to-meet-your-true-destiny-is-a-tragic-act-of-free-will/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) > [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Destiny is the ordained intention God has sacredly prepared with your name on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-lynch/destiny-is-the-ordained-intention-god-has-sacredly-prepared-with-your/) [John S. Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-lynch/) > [“There is no interaction without God with interaction with men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/there-is-no-interaction-without-god-with-interaction-with-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“Fate and future both are servant to the determined, for they are nothing but creation of human determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fate-and-future-both-are-servant-to-the-determined-for-they-are/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) [Browse all 7,925 Destiny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that-really-determines-his-fate/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Destiny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that-really-determines-his-fate/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/henry-david-thoreau-20_destiny_it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that_1431254.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/henry-david-thoreau-20_destiny_it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that_1431254.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e6d/henry-david-thoreau-20_destiny_it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that_1431254.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is what a man thinks of himself that really determines his fate.” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is what a man thinks...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that-really-determines-his-fate/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/it-is-what-a-man-thinks-of-himself-that-really-determines-his-fate/#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 } } ] } ```