--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Were she better, or you sicker, then the…" description: "\"“Were she better, or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare mor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/john-green-12_fault_were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-s_1734509.jpg" --- # Were she better, or you sicker, then the stars would not… ![“Were she better, or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he had Cassius note, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves.” quote by John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/john-green-12_fault_were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-s_1734509.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/john-green-12_fault_were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-s_1734509.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/john-green-12_fault_were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-s_1734509.jpg) > ““Were she better, or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he had Cassius note, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves.”” [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote blends Shakespeare’s fatalism with modern self‑responsibility, suggesting stars (fate) are not the cause of misfortune. **In simple terms:** Stars aren’t to blame; we are. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your actions. Themes fate personal responsibility literature Mood reflective thoughtful Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - life choices - career setbacks - relationship issues Key Concepts determinism self‑agency Questions to Reflect On - How much control do you truly have? - When do external factors dominate? A Different Perspective Shakespeare’s line may oversimplify complex causes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Illness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illness/) [Sickness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sickness/) [Starcrossed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/starcrossed/) [Stars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stars/) ## Related quotes > [“It is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he had Cassius note, “The fault, dear Brutus,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-is-the-nature-of-stars-to-cross-and-never-was-shakespeare-more/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [But it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he has Cassius note, ‘The fault, dear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/but-it-is-the-nature-of-stars-to-cross-and-never-was-shakespeare-more/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Everyone in this tale has a rock-solid hamartia: hers, that she is so sick; yours, that you are so well. 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Were she better or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/everyone-in-this-tale-had-a-rock-solid-hamartia-hers-that-she-is-so/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Were she better or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-stars-would-not-be-so-terribly/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Were she better or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-stars-would-not-be-so-terribly-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [it is the nature of stars to cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/it-is-the-nature-of-stars-to-cross/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in our stars, that we are underlinings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-fault-dear-brutus-is-not-in-our-stars-but-in-our-stars-that-we/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars / But in ourselves.” Easy enough to say when you’re a Roman nobleman (or Shakespeare!),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/the-fault-dear-brutus-is-not-in-our-stars-but-in-ourselves-easy/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [We affect one another quite enough merely by existing. 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I smoke to die." -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/she-smiled-with-all-the-delight-of-a-kid-on-christmas-morning-and/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [A Margo for each of us--and each more mirror than window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/a-margo-for-each-of-us-and-each-more-mirror-than-window/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“No one ever says good-bye unless they want to see you again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/no-one-ever-says-good-bye-unless-they-want-to-see-you-again/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. 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I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/so-i-was-ugly-i-was-never-fat-really-and-i-never-wore-headgear-or-had/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Nothing has ever looked like that ever in all of human history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/nothing-has-ever-looked-like-that-ever-in-all-of-human-history/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“said to him quietly, as if I couldn’t hear or something. Dad was about to respond but I interrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/said-to-him-quietly-as-if-i-couldn-t-hear-or-something-dad-was-about/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I believe humans have souls, and I believe in the conservation of souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-believe-humans-have-souls-and-i-believe-in-the-conservation-of-souls/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“He was hot. A nonhotboy stares at you relentlessly and it is, at best, awkward and, at worst, a form of assault. But a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/he-was-hot-a-nonhotboy-stares-at-you-relentlessly-and-it-is-at-best/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I think if you keep the box closed long enough you do kill the cat, actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-think-if-you-keep-the-box-closed-long-enough-you-do-kill-the-cat/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia. (...) 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But that is not my fault because I feel like too much is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-murad/sometimes-i-feel-that-my-message-has-not-been-clearly-heard-but-that/) [Nadia Murad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-murad/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [I've been in 30 car crashes, none of 'em my fault, I swear on a stack of midgets... OK, they were probably all my fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roddy-piper/i-ve-been-in-30-car-crashes-none-of-em-my-fault-i-swear-on-a-stack-of/) [Roddy Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roddy-piper/) > [Many persons have been confused and discouraged at the very outset of the study by the great variety and the delicate distinctions of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-staunton/many-persons-have-been-confused-and-discouraged-at-the-very-outset-of/) [Howard Staunton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-staunton/) > [The real fault is to have faults and not amend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-real-fault-is-to-have-faults-and-not-amend-them/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“When a comm builds atop a fault line, do you blame its walls when they inevitably crush the people inside? No; you blame whoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/when-a-comm-builds-atop-a-fault-line-do-you-blame-its-walls-when-they/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [We may not like our times or many aspects of the time we live in but that is not the fault of art as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-elliott/we-may-not-like-our-times-or-many-aspects-of-the-time-we-live-in-but/) [David Elliott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-elliott/) > [My biggest fault is that I give people too much credit. Then they let you down. 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Things caught fire; it wasn’t always Brandt’s fault.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abigail-roux/brandt-certainly-didn-t-see-what-the-big-deal-was-things-caught-fire/) [Abigail Roux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abigail-roux/) Browse all 784 Fault quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Were she better, or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of stars to cross, and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he had Cassius note, ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/But in ourselves.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Green" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-stars-would-not-be-so-terribly-3/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fault" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-stars-would-not-be-so-terribly-3/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/john-green-12_fault_were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-s_1734509.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/john-green-12_fault_were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-s_1734509.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/john-green-12_fault_were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-s_1734509.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Were she better, or you sicker, then the stars would not be so terribly crossed, but it is the nature of…” — John Green", "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": "John Green", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Were she better, or you sicker,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-stars-would-not-be-so-terribly-3/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/were-she-better-or-you-sicker-then-the-stars-would-not-be-so-terribly-3/#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 } } ] } ```