--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can’t help the way we’re born. We…" description: "\"“We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we are, only what life we choose to make for ourselves.”\" — Leigh Bardugo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/leigh-bardugo-252_choose_we-can-t-help-the-way-we-re-born-we-can_2087127.png" --- # We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we… ![“We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we are, only what life we choose to make for ourselves.” quote by Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/leigh-bardugo-252_choose_we-can-t-help-the-way-we-re-born-we-can_2087127.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/leigh-bardugo-252_choose_we-can-t-help-the-way-we-re-born-we-can_2087127.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7c3/leigh-bardugo-252_choose_we-can-t-help-the-way-we-re-born-we-can_2087127.png) > ““We can’t help the way we’re born. We can’t help what we are, only what life we choose to make for ourselves.”” [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We are born with innate traits, but we can shape our lives through choices and actions. **In simple terms:** Born with traits, we shape life by choices. Key Takeaway Own your choices, shape your destiny. Themes self‑determination identity choice Mood reflective empowering Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - relationship building - overcoming adversity Key Concepts existentialism agency self‑construction Questions to Reflect On - What choices can you make today to change your path? - How do you balance innate traits with personal agency? A Different Perspective Choices are limited by external circumstances and systemic constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Wonder woman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder-woman/) ## Related quotes > [“A different kind of knight, one who'd chosen to protect the girl the world wanted to destroy; one born to slay dragons, but maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/a-different-kind-of-knight-one-who-d-chosen-to-protect-the-girl-the/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“A wise warrior learns from her mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/a-wise-warrior-learns-from-her-mistakes/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“When you're born to help others sometimes you forget to help yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-heller-garland/when-you-re-born-to-help-others-sometimes-you-forget-to-help-yourself/) [Paula Heller Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-heller-garland/) > [“TEN WAYS A PARTNER CAN HELP Before the baby’s born, help stock the freezer with meals that can be eaten with one hand. 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I love you, Alina, even the part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-don-t-care-if-you-danced-naked-on-the-roof-of-the-little-palace/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Inej frowned. “I thought you and Nina chose four outbreak sites on the Staves.” Kaz straightened his cuffs. “I also had her stop at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/inej-frowned-i-thought-you-and-nina-chose-four-outbreak-sites-on-the/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“I rolled my eyes. "For defending my honor, you dullard." He yanked me beneath a shadowed awning. I had a moment's panic when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/i-rolled-my-eyes-for-defending-my-honor-you-dullard-he-yanked-me/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“I've been waiting for you a long time, Alina" He said. 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"And long on enemies," replied Nikolai.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/short-on-friends-your-highness-and-long-on-enemies-replied-nikolai/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) > [“Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. “Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-bardugo/jesper-knocked-his-head-against-the-hull-and-cast-his-eyes-heavenward/) [Leigh Bardugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) [Explore all 782 Leigh Bardugo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-bardugo/) ## More Choose quotes > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [If somebody asks me to choose a biopic, it would be Narain Karthikeyan because I love racing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naga-chaitanya/if-somebody-asks-me-to-choose-a-biopic-it-would-be-narain-karthikeyan/) [Naga Chaitanya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naga-chaitanya/) > [“Either you soften your ego, or the world will do it for you. Choose!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bert-mccoy/either-you-soften-your-ego-or-the-world-will-do-it-for-you-choose/) [Bert McCoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bert-mccoy/) > [I'm aware of who I am and I'm comfortable with who I choose to date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shibani-dandekar/i-m-aware-of-who-i-am-and-i-m-comfortable-with-who-i-choose-to-date/) [Shibani Dandekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shibani-dandekar/) > [No actor wants to choose - they just want all of the options available to them all the time; we tend to be pretty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-jacobs/no-actor-wants-to-choose-they-just-want-all-of-the-options-available/) [Gillian Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-jacobs/) > [If you choose to work at a larger company over a smaller company, you are more likely to be higher paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-sweet/if-you-choose-to-work-at-a-larger-company-over-a-smaller-company-you/) [Julie Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-sweet/) > [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/) > [It's only a thought and a thought can be changed. Choose good ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/it-s-only-a-thought-and-a-thought-can-be-changed-choose-good-ones/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime...so you gotta choose who is good for you! Be wise, be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-come-into-your-life-for-a-reason-a-season-or-a-lifetime-so-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm not opposed - we manufacture a lot of socks in North Carolina - I just choose not to wear them. It's a Southern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-burr/i-m-not-opposed-we-manufacture-a-lot-of-socks-in-north-carolina-i/) [Richard Burr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-burr/) > [Having too many options is bad. I want one person, just one. Not a whole bunch to choose from,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roderickthefirst/having-too-many-options-is-bad-i-want-one-person-just-one-not-a-whole/) RoderickTheFirst > [If I could be anyone, I'd choose the lead singer of Arcade Fire, Win Butler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-kardashian/if-i-could-be-anyone-i-d-choose-the-lead-singer-of-arcade-fire-win/) [Rob Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-kardashian/) > [People are as happy as they choose to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/people-are-as-happy-as-they-choose-to-be/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) Browse all 3,851 Choose quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We can’t help the way we’re born. 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