--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Character is forged not on the…" description: "\"Character is forged not on the mountaintop but in the valley.\" — Mike Matheny" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/mike-matheny-55764_character_character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaint_1726016.png" --- # Character is forged not on the mountaintop but in the… ![“Character is forged not on the mountaintop but in the valley.” quote by Mike Matheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/mike-matheny-55764_character_character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaint_1726016.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/mike-matheny-55764_character_character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaint_1726016.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/mike-matheny-55764_character_character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaint_1726016.png) > “Character is forged not on the mountaintop but in the valley.” [Mike Matheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Character develops through struggles in everyday life, not just during triumphs. **In simple terms:** Strength is built in daily challenges. Key Takeaway Embrace ordinary hardships. Themes character resilience growth Mood reflective inspirational Type motivational practical When to use this quote - career setbacks - family issues - health battles - learning new skills Key Concepts psychology personal development Questions to Reflect On - How do daily struggles shape your character? - What valley you learn from ordinary challenges? A Different Perspective Great moments also shape us, not just hardships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ## Related quotes > [Truth cannot be brought down; rather, the individual must make the effort to ascend to it. You cannot bring the mountaintop to the valley.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/truth-cannot-be-brought-down-rather-the-individual-must-make-the/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I've been at the mountaintop and the valley low. The thing that I understand is every year, it resets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jalen-hurts/i-ve-been-at-the-mountaintop-and-the-valley-low-the-thing-that-i/) [Jalen Hurts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jalen-hurts/) > [Great character is forged through hardships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eiji-yoshikawa/great-character-is-forged-through-hardships/) [Eiji Yoshikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eiji-yoshikawa/) > [There is a time in every life when paths are chosen, character is forged. I could have chosen a different path. But I didn’t.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/there-is-a-time-in-every-life-when-paths-are-chosen-character-is/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [“...Our character was being forged on the anvil of the difficult experiences we were facing. We knew that if we remained committed to God's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-foster/our-character-was-being-forged-on-the-anvil-of-the-difficult/) [George Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-foster/) > [No matter how hard we strive for objectivity, writers are biased toward tension - those moments in which character is forged and revealed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stone/no-matter-how-hard-we-strive-for-objectivity-writers-are-biased/) [Brad Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stone/) > [Jean-Paul Sartre, the existentialist philosopher who celebrated the anguish of decision as a hallmark of responsibility, has no place in Silicon Valley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeny-morozov/jean-paul-sartre-the-existentialist-philosopher-who-celebrated-the/) [Evgeny Morozov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeny-morozov/) > [Keep trying. It's only from the valley that the mountain seems high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/keep-trying-it-s-only-from-the-valley-that-the-mountain-seems-high/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > ['Precious' is strangely uplifting. It goes down into the valley but it also goes to the mountain tops. A lot of difficult realities are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-s-fletcher/precious-is-strangely-uplifting-it-goes-down-into-the-valley-but-it/) [Geoffrey S. Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-s-fletcher/) > [By turns sad and uplifting, Life in the Valley of Death tells the amazing tale of Alan Rabinowitz's courageous and spirited efforts to protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thant-myint-u/by-turns-sad-and-uplifting-life-in-the-valley-of-death-tells-the/) Thant Myint-U > [Everybody wants to reach the top of the mountain, but there is no growth at the peak. It is in the valley that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-andrews/everybody-wants-to-reach-the-top-of-the-mountain-but-there-is-no/) [Andy Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-andrews/) > [Any river is really the summation of a whole valley. It shapes not only the land but the life and even the culture of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-borland/any-river-is-really-the-summation-of-a-whole-valley-it-shapes-not/) [Hal Borland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-borland/) > [On 'Death Valley,' I fought this werewolf, and he was picking me up and slamming me down. They put padding down in the garbage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caity-lotz/on-death-valley-i-fought-this-werewolf-and-he-was-picking-me-up-and/) [Caity Lotz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caity-lotz/) > [In the valley of sorrow, spread your wings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/in-the-valley-of-sorrow-spread-your-wings/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Poetry makes nothing happen. It survives in the valley of its saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-kumin/poetry-makes-nothing-happen-it-survives-in-the-valley-of-its-saying/) [Maxine Kumin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-kumin/) ## More by Mike Matheny > [I'm a believer that some messages are not meant to be shared publicly. They're meant to stay inside the clubhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/i-m-a-believer-that-some-messages-are-not-meant-to-be-shared-publicly/) [Mike Matheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/) > [I don't want to cower at somebody's interpretation of what I'm about. I'm supposed to be doing it and I'm going to throw this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/i-don-t-want-to-cower-at-somebody-s-interpretation-of-what-i-m-about/) [Mike Matheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/) > [I didn't feel good today- little things here and there- but that's the nature of this game. You just keep pushing, being mentally and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/i-didn-t-feel-good-today-little-things-here-and-there-but-that-s-the/) [Mike Matheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/) > [Nothing worth doing right is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/nothing-worth-doing-right-is-easy/) [Mike Matheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/) > [I believe that the time to start thinking about your legacy is not at the end but at the beginning, because as I said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/i-believe-that-the-time-to-start-thinking-about-your-legacy-is-not-at/) [Mike Matheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/) [Explore all 6 Mike Matheny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Character is forged not on the mountaintop but in the valley.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mike Matheny" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaintop-but-in-the-valley/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaintop-but-in-the-valley/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/mike-matheny-55764_character_character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaint_1726016.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/mike-matheny-55764_character_character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaint_1726016.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/92a/mike-matheny-55764_character_character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaint_1726016.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Character is forged not on the mountaintop but in the valley.” — Mike Matheny", "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": "Mike Matheny", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-matheny/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Character is forged not on the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaintop-but-in-the-valley/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-matheny/character-is-forged-not-on-the-mountaintop-but-in-the-valley/#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 } } ] } ```