--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door." description: "\"If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door.\" — Milton Berle" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/milton-berle-3246_door_if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-doo_1701773.png" --- # If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door. ![“If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door.” quote by Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/milton-berle-3246_door_if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-doo_1701773.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/milton-berle-3246_door_if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-doo_1701773.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/milton-berle-3246_door_if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-doo_1701773.png) > “If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door.” [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Create your own opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear. **In simple terms:** Make your own chances. Key Takeaway Take initiative. Themes initiative creativity self‑reliance Mood motivational proactive Type inspirational practical When to use this quote - job search - networking - personal projects - career advancement Key Concepts entrepreneurship problem solving agency Questions to Reflect On - What opportunity can you actively create today? - How do you assess risk when building a new path? A Different Perspective May lead to overextension if not balanced with realistic assessment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Opportunity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunity/) ## Related quotes > [If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-build-a-door/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-opportunity-doesn-t-knock-build-a-door/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If an opportunity does not knock why not build a door?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-d-gonsalves/if-an-opportunity-does-not-knock-why-not-build-a-door/) [Gloria D. Gonsalves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-d-gonsalves/) > [If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door, but only as long as it's not visible from the street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/if-opportunity-doesn-t-knock-build-a-door-but-only-as-long-as-it-s/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door and open it, stop waiting around for someone to give it to you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilica-haridat/if-opportunity-doesn-t-knock-build-a-door-and-open-it-stop-waiting/) Tilica Haridat > [“If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. Milton Berle.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samna-ghani/if-opportunity-doesn-t-knock-build-a-door-milton-berle/) Samna Ghani > [You are a fine figure of a woman, they are going to knock you down and build a block of flats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-a-fine-figure-of-a-woman-they-are-going-to-knock-you-down-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If there is no door open for me, I build a door”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadi-farnoud/if-there-is-no-door-open-for-me-i-build-a-door/) [Hadi Farnoud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadi-farnoud/) > [If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door. Don't go through life, grow through life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-butterworth/if-opportunity-doesn-t-knock-build-a-door-don-t-go-through-life-grow/) [Eric Butterworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-butterworth/) > [“If God had to build a door, it’s because we erected a wall.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/if-god-had-to-build-a-door-it-s-because-we-erected-a-wall/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [You can either wait for the door of opportunity to open or you can build your door onto invisible walls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nghi-lam/you-can-either-wait-for-the-door-of-opportunity-to-open-or-you-can/) [Nghi Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nghi-lam/) > [If you knock on doors and no one answers, build your own door of success, knock, open, and leap through.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bl-brown/if-you-knock-on-doors-and-no-one-answers-build-your-own-door-of/) BL Brown > [If opportunity doesnt knock at your door then build a door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-at-your-door-then-build-a-door/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“He spent so long building walls to protect his privacy that I think he forgot to build a door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenner/he-spent-so-long-building-walls-to-protect-his-privacy-that-i-think/) [J. Kenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenner/) > [If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door..so.. Dont wait for things to come to you; take your fate into your own hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melchor-lim/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-build-a-door-so-dont-wait-for-things-to/) [Melchor Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melchor-lim/) ## More by Milton Berle > [A man falls down a flight of stairs and somebody rushes over to him and asks, Did you miss a step? No, he answers,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/a-man-falls-down-a-flight-of-stairs-and-somebody-rushes-over-to-him/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [Anytime a person goes into a delicatessen and orders a pastrami on white bread, somewhere a Jew dies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/anytime-a-person-goes-into-a-delicatessen-and-orders-a-pastrami-on/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [Like every comedian, if I heard a joke that I thought would work, I used it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/like-every-comedian-if-i-heard-a-joke-that-i-thought-would-work-i/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [My sister-in-law found a real surprise in her stockings - my brother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/my-sister-in-law-found-a-real-surprise-in-her-stockings-my-brother/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [When I was in school, one of my teachers was crazy about me. I once heard her tell another teacher, "I wish he was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/when-i-was-in-school-one-of-my-teachers-was-crazy-about-me-i-once/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [I'd rather be a could-be if I cannot be an are; because a could-be is a maybe who is reaching for a star. I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/i-d-rather-be-a-could-be-if-i-cannot-be-an-are-because-a-could-be-is/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [Every year my boss used to give me a bottle of expensive brandy because I'd told him that my doctor suggested a drink once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/every-year-my-boss-used-to-give-me-a-bottle-of-expensive-brandy/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [The problem with life is, by the time you can read women like a book, your library card has expired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/the-problem-with-life-is-by-the-time-you-can-read-women-like-a-book/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [If you hire relatives, you'll have a payroll that won't quit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/if-you-hire-relatives-you-ll-have-a-payroll-that-won-t-quit/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [It's amazing how fast later comes when you buy now!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/it-s-amazing-how-fast-later-comes-when-you-buy-now/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [I don't mind personal insults, but when you insult the jokes that I tell you're insulting Fred Allen, Bob Hope, Burns and Allen, Trevor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/i-don-t-mind-personal-insults-but-when-you-insult-the-jokes-that-i/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [I like to think of myself as the middleman between Fred Allen and Henny Youngman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/i-like-to-think-of-myself-as-the-middleman-between-fred-allen-and/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [What an orchestra! They just sit there, but their minds are thousands of miles away with their bookies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/what-an-orchestra-they-just-sit-there-but-their-minds-are-thousands/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [My son gave me a nice bottle of cologne - Eau de Owe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/my-son-gave-me-a-nice-bottle-of-cologne-eau-de-owe/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) > [I was in a department store and I saw a weird-looking gadget. I asked the young saleslady what it was. She answered, "It doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/i-was-in-a-department-store-and-i-saw-a-weird-looking-gadget-i-asked/) [Milton Berle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) [Explore all 135 Milton Berle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/) ## More Door quotes > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When one door closes another doesn't just open, you can either open the same door or open a different one...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-one-door-closes-another-doesn-t-just-open-you-can-either-open/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder: when a Jehovah's Witness dies and goes to Heaven, does God hide behind the door and pretend He's not home?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-celio/i-wonder-when-a-jehovah-s-witness-dies-and-goes-to-heaven-does-god/) [Brian Celio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-celio/) > [We can't love a place or a person if we always have one foot out the door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/we-can-t-love-a-place-or-a-person-if-we-always-have-one-foot-out-the/) [Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/) > [Kindness unlocks doors that were thought to be closed forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/kindness-unlocks-doors-that-were-thought-to-be-closed-forever/) Unkown > [Dear parents,knocking while open the door to my bedroom kind of defeats the purpose of knocking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/dear-parents-knocking-while-open-the-door-to-my-bedroom-kind-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [I won't be managing the Mets. I am closing the door on managing the Mets and probably everybody else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-torre/i-won-t-be-managing-the-mets-i-am-closing-the-door-on-managing-the/) [Joe Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-torre/) > [If opportunity doesnt knock, build a door…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-opportunity-doesnt-knock-build-a-door/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Couples Therapy' is pretty big for me because it's opening the door to a new audience - a hip-hop following, which I feel is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-carrera/couples-therapy-is-pretty-big-for-me-because-it-s-opening-the-door-to/) [Carmen Carrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-carrera/) > [“Happiness isn't something that you plan for. It comes knocking unexpectedly, just like opportunity. And it's up to you to answer the door and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-doughton/happiness-isn-t-something-that-you-plan-for-it-comes-knocking/) [Autumn Doughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-doughton/) > [Nothing attracts me like a closed door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-bourke-white/nothing-attracts-me-like-a-closed-door/) [Margaret Bourke-White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-bourke-white/) > [They never opened the door which leads to the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/they-never-opened-the-door-which-leads-to-the-soul/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“Hayley Haslett raised her hand and tapped on the door.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rose/hayley-haslett-raised-her-hand-and-tapped-on-the-door/) [Carol Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rose/) > [I think you've still got to try to be good, day-to-day. You see a granny, you hold the door open for her. You just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sami-zayn/i-think-you-ve-still-got-to-try-to-be-good-day-to-day-you-see-a/) [Sami Zayn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sami-zayn/) Browse all 3,104 Door quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Milton Berle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-door/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Door" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-door/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/milton-berle-3246_door_if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-doo_1701773.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/milton-berle-3246_door_if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-doo_1701773.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca1/milton-berle-3246_door_if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-doo_1701773.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door.” — Milton Berle", "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": "Milton Berle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-berle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If opportunity dosen't knock,build a door.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-door/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-berle/if-opportunity-dosen-t-knock-build-a-door/#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 } } ] } ```