---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Circumstances-what are circumstances? I…"
description: "\"Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances\" — Napoleon Bonaparte"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/napoleon-bonaparte-206_attitude_circumstances-what-are-circumstances-i-m_1462995.jpg"
---

#  Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances

![“Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances” quote by Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/napoleon-bonaparte-206_attitude_circumstances-what-are-circumstances-i-m_1462995.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/napoleon-bonaparte-206_attitude_circumstances-what-are-circumstances-i-m_1462995.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee7/napoleon-bonaparte-206_attitude_circumstances-what-are-circumstances-i-m_1462995.jpg)

> “Circumstances-what are circumstances? I make circumstances”

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The statement suggests that circumstances are not external forces but are created by one's own actions and mindset.

**In simple terms:** We create our own circumstances.

Key Takeaway

Take responsibility for shaping your life.

Themes

agency self-determination empowerment

Mood

motivational reflective

Type

philosophical practical

When to use this quote

- career decisions
- personal relationships
- entrepreneurship
- habit formation

Key Concepts

psychology philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What circumstances have you shaped?
- How do external factors limit agency?

A Different Perspective

It may ignore systemic barriers beyond individual control.

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> [Do not try to make circumstances fit your plans. Make plans that fit the circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-s-patton/do-not-try-to-make-circumstances-fit-your-plans-make-plans-that-fit/)

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[Roger Crawford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-crawford/)

> [Stress comes from within; it is your reaction to circumstances, not the circumstances themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/stress-comes-from-within-it-is-your-reaction-to-circumstances-not-the/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, and you will make of their circumstances the litter you have made of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-fort/do-unto-others-as-you-would-have-them-do-unto-you-and-you-will-make/)

[Charles Fort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-fort/)

> [God does not further our spiritual life in spite of our circumstances, but in and by our circumstances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/god-does-not-further-our-spiritual-life-in-spite-of-our-circumstances/)

[Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/)

> [A man is not little when he finds it difficult to cope with circumstances, but when circumstances overmaster him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/a-man-is-not-little-when-he-finds-it-difficult-to-cope-with/)

[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/)

> [“I would encourage people to see through rather than look at their circumstances. If you see through your circumstances to the person you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darrell-scott/i-would-encourage-people-to-see-through-rather-than-look-at-their/)

[Darrell Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darrell-scott/)

> [“circumstances determine our lives, but we shape our lives by what we make of our circumstances.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sir-john-wheeler-bennet/circumstances-determine-our-lives-but-we-shape-our-lives-by-what-we/)

[Sir John Wheeler-Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sir-john-wheeler-bennet/)

> [“It isn't our circumstances that make life worth living. It's God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindee-snider-re/it-isn-t-our-circumstances-that-make-life-worth-living-it-s-god/)

[Cindee Snider Re](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindee-snider-re/)

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[Tapan Ghosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tapan-ghosh/)

## More by Napoleon Bonaparte

> [He is almost a statesman. He lies well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/he-is-almost-a-statesman-he-lies-well/)

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[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [All becomes easy when we follow the current of opinion; it is the ruler of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/all-becomes-easy-when-we-follow-the-current-of-opinion-it-is-the/)

[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

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[Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/)

> [Anarchy is the stepping stone to absolute power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/anarchy-is-the-stepping-stone-to-absolute-power/)

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## More Attitude quotes

> [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/)

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