--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Rely only on yourself; it is a common…" description: "\"Rely only on yourself; it is a common proverb.\" — Jean de La Fontaine" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21b/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_common_rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-pro_991125.jpg" --- # Rely only on yourself; it is a common proverb. ![“Rely only on yourself; it is a common proverb.” quote by Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21b/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_common_rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-pro_991125.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21b/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_common_rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-pro_991125.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21b/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_common_rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-pro_991125.jpg) > “Rely only on yourself; it is a common proverb.” [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Relying solely on oneself is a common proverb emphasizing self‑sufficiency. **In simple terms:** Self‑reliance is a timeless proverb. Key Takeaway Cultivate independence while valuing community support. Themes self‑reliance individualism wisdom proverb Mood thoughtful practical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - entrepreneurship - survival situations - personal finance - mental health Key Concepts philosophy ethics personal development Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance self‑reliance with collaboration? - When is seeking help beneficial? 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If you want to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/you-know-there-s-an-old-african-proverb-that-i-made-up-if-you-want-to/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [What is taken from the fortune, also, may haply be so much lifted from the soul. The greatness of a loss, as the proverb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/what-is-taken-from-the-fortune-also-may-haply-be-so-much-lifted-from/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” - Chinese proverb”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-toffler/i-hear-and-i-forget-i-see-and-i-remember-i-do-and-i-understand/) [Alvin Toffler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-toffler/) ## More by Jean de La Fontaine > [Nothing is so oppressive as a secret: women find it difficult to keep one long; and I know a goodly number of men who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/nothing-is-so-oppressive-as-a-secret-women-find-it-difficult-to-keep/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [One should stick to the sort of thing for which one was made; I tried to be an herbalist, Whereas I should keep to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/one-should-stick-to-the-sort-of-thing-for-which-one-was-made-i-tried/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [ No flowery road leads to glory. \[Fr., Aucun chemin de fleurs ne conduit a la gloire.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/no-flowery-road-leads-to-glory-fr-aucun-chemin-de-fleurs-ne-conduit-a/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Nothing is as dangerous as an ignorant friend; a wise enemy is to be preferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/nothing-is-as-dangerous-as-an-ignorant-friend-a-wise-enemy-is-to-be/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [“Everyone believes very easily whatever he fears or desires.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/everyone-believes-very-easily-whatever-he-fears-or-desires/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Example is a dangerous lure: where the wasp got through the gnat sticks fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/example-is-a-dangerous-lure-where-the-wasp-got-through-the-gnat/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Neither wealth or greatness render us happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/neither-wealth-or-greatness-render-us-happy/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [No favor can win gratitude from a cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/no-favor-can-win-gratitude-from-a-cat/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Love cries victory when the tears of a woman become the sole defence of her virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/love-cries-victory-when-the-tears-of-a-woman-become-the-sole-defence/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/a-person-often-meets-his-destiny-on-the-road-he-took-to-avoid-it/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [You've tried to reform what will not learn. Shut doors on traits that you wish were dead; They will open a window and return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/you-ve-tried-to-reform-what-will-not-learn-shut-doors-on-traits-that/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [We ought never to scoff at the wretched, for who can be sure of continued happiness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/we-ought-never-to-scoff-at-the-wretched-for-who-can-be-sure-of/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Such gluttony second to none Almost ended fatally When a bone choked a wolf as he gulped what he ate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/such-gluttony-second-to-none-almost-ended-fatally-when-a-bone-choked/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/every-flatterer-lives-at-the-expense-of-him-who-listens-to-him/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) > [Cats know not how to pardon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/cats-know-not-how-to-pardon/) [Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) [Explore all 166 Jean de La Fontaine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/) ## More Common quotes > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Our times demand the declaration of the world's resources as the common heritage of all people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/our-times-demand-the-declaration-of-the-world-s-resources-as-the/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [ Neither Italian fascism nor German national "socialism" have anything in common with such a \[Soviet socialistic\] society, primarily because private ownership of factories, plants,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/neither-italian-fascism-nor-german-national-socialism-have-anything/) [Joseph Stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [When you have a cavity in your tooth and you let it get worse, eventually you have to get a root canal. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-newton-john/when-you-have-a-cavity-in-your-tooth-and-you-let-it-get-worse/) [Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/) > [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Common sense is nothing more than a deposit of prejudices laid down in the mind before you reach eighteen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/common-sense-is-nothing-more-than-a-deposit-of-prejudices-laid-down/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [A time will come when the science of destruction shall bend before the arts of peace; when the genius which multiplies our powers, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-arago/a-time-will-come-when-the-science-of-destruction-shall-bend-before/) [Francois Arago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-arago/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [Those who advocate common usage in philosophy sometimes speak in a manner that suggests the mystique of the 'common man.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/those-who-advocate-common-usage-in-philosophy-sometimes-speak-in-a/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) Browse all 7,866 Common quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Rely only on yourself; it is a common proverb.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de La Fontaine" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-proverb/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Common" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-proverb/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21b/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_common_rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-pro_991125.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21b/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_common_rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-pro_991125.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/21b/jean-de-la-fontaine-2320_common_rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-pro_991125.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Rely only on yourself; it is a common proverb.” — Jean de La Fontaine", "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": "Jean de La Fontaine", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Rely only on yourself; it is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-proverb/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/rely-only-on-yourself-it-is-a-common-proverb/#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 } } ] } ```