--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You cannot of yourself move your arm or…" description: "\"You cannot of yourself move your arm or alter your position, situation, posture, do to other men good or evil, or effect the least change in the world...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/nicolas-malebranche-23473_arms_you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or_1518358.png" --- # You cannot of yourself move your arm or alter your… ![“You cannot of yourself move your arm or alter your position, situation, posture, do to other men good or evil, or effect the least change in the world.” quote by Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/nicolas-malebranche-23473_arms_you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or_1518358.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/nicolas-malebranche-23473_arms_you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or_1518358.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/nicolas-malebranche-23473_arms_you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or_1518358.png) > “You cannot of yourself move your arm or alter your position, situation, posture, do to other men good or evil, or effect the least change in the world.” [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human agency cannot affect the world without divine will; all change is ultimately God’s. **In simple terms:** We can’t truly change things on our own. Key Takeaway Accept limits of personal control. Themes free will theology determinism Mood contemplative serious Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - moral decision making - spiritual reflection - accepting fate Key Concepts divine providence human limitation causality Questions to Reflect On - Do you believe in free will? - How does this view affect moral accountability? A Different Perspective Human responsibility may be understated. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alter Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alter-position-5606186/) [Arm Alter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arm-alter-5606187/) [Arms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change In The World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-in-the-world/) [Change World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-world/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Moving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moving/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Posture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posture/) [Posture Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/posture-men-1905897/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Situation Posture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation-posture-5606188/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“She did not want to be moved or bothered or distracted ('No, don't do anything yet, don't do anything, just wait'), nor did she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-mar-as/she-did-not-want-to-be-moved-or-bothered-or-distracted-no-don-t-do/) [Javier Marías](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-mar-as/) > [“I ordered a beer, opened the newspaper, and realized the light was all wrong for reading. 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If you want to find the right person in your life, be the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-you-want-to-be-happy-make-someone-else-happy-if-you-want-to-find/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I don't think any change in the world has been more significant than the change in the status of women. . . . A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/belle-s-spafford/i-don-t-think-any-change-in-the-world-has-been-more-significant-than/) [Belle S. Spafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/belle-s-spafford/) > [It’s important to think good, speak good, and do good. If we want to see positive change in the world, then we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/it-s-important-to-think-good-speak-good-and-do-good-if-we-want-to-see/) [Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/) > [My goal was never to just create a company. A lot of people misinterpret that, as if I don't care about revenue or profit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zuckerberg/my-goal-was-never-to-just-create-a-company-a-lot-of-people/) [Mark Zuckerberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zuckerberg/) > [I believe everybody can make a change in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadine-labaki/i-believe-everybody-can-make-a-change-in-the-world/) [Nadine Labaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadine-labaki/) > [What Donald Trump is, is not movement of change, it's a reaction to global change, it's a total reaction to global change. It's transformational…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-dowd/what-donald-trump-is-is-not-movement-of-change-it-s-a-reaction-to/) [Matthew Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-dowd/) > [The biggest change in the world today is that the young don’t learn from the old, they teach the old about the world today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klaus-schwab/the-biggest-change-in-the-world-today-is-that-the-young-don-t-learn/) [Klaus Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klaus-schwab/) > [If we made atomic bombs, we would bring about a terrible change in the world. Who knows what would happen from this?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-heisenberg/if-we-made-atomic-bombs-we-would-bring-about-a-terrible-change-in-the/) [Werner Heisenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-heisenberg/) > [HOW CAN WE EFFECT CHANGE IN THE WORLD WHEN ONLY HALF OF IT IS INVITED OR FEEL WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONVERSATION?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/how-can-we-effect-change-in-the-world-when-only-half-of-it-is-invited/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [Think good, speak good and do good, to bring about positive change in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shari-arison/think-good-speak-good-and-do-good-to-bring-about-positive-change-in/) [Shari Arison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shari-arison/) > [Youth should be radical. Youth should demand change in the world. Youth should not accept the old order if the world is to move…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-allen-white/youth-should-be-radical-youth-should-demand-change-in-the-world-youth/) [William Allen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-allen-white/) ## More by Nicolas Malebranche > [I am not my own light unto myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/i-am-not-my-own-light-unto-myself/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [I am unable, when I turn to myself, to recognize any of my faculties or my capacities. The inner sensation which I have of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/i-am-unable-when-i-turn-to-myself-to-recognize-any-of-my-faculties-or/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [We see things in this material world, wherein our bodies dwell, only because our mind through its attention lives in another world, only because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/we-see-things-in-this-material-world-wherein-our-bodies-dwell-only/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [In this connection, faith and experience teach us many truths by means of the short-cut of authority and by the proofs of very pleasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/in-this-connection-faith-and-experience-teach-us-many-truths-by-means/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [All creatures are united to God alone in an immediate union. They depend essentially and directly upon Him. Being all alike equally impotent, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/all-creatures-are-united-to-god-alone-in-an-immediate-union-they/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [He has willed - He wills incessantly - that the modifications of the mind and those of the body shall be reciprocal. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/he-has-willed-he-wills-incessantly-that-the-modifications-of-the-mind/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [Our soul is not united to our body in the ordinary sense of these terms. It is immediately and directly united to God alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/our-soul-is-not-united-to-our-body-in-the-ordinary-sense-of-these/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [God joins us together by means of the body, in consequence of the laws of the communication of movements. He affects us with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/god-joins-us-together-by-means-of-the-body-in-consequence-of-the-laws/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [Imagination is the mad boarder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/imagination-is-the-mad-boarder/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [Do not fear lest you should meditate too much upon Him and speak of Him in an unworthy way, providing you are led by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/do-not-fear-lest-you-should-meditate-too-much-upon-him-and-speak-of/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [Just as our eyes need light in order to see, our minds need ideas in order to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/just-as-our-eyes-need-light-in-order-to-see-our-minds-need-ideas-in/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [Prejudices are not easily got rid of as an old coat which is no longer thought of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/prejudices-are-not-easily-got-rid-of-as-an-old-coat-which-is-no/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [We are rational creatures: Our virtue and perfection is to love reason, or rather to love order.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/we-are-rational-creatures-our-virtue-and-perfection-is-to-love-reason/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [I love good and pleasure, I hate evil and pain, I want to be happy and I am not mistaken in believing, that people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/i-love-good-and-pleasure-i-hate-evil-and-pain-i-want-to-be-happy-and/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) > [I beg of you always to dwell upon the necessity of a thorough understanding of principles, in order to stop the vivacity of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/i-beg-of-you-always-to-dwell-upon-the-necessity-of-a-thorough/) [Nicolas Malebranche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) [Explore all 26 Nicolas Malebranche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/) ## More Arms quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/) [Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli. "No. Were discussing." "Are you sure?" "Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/are-we-fighting-i-asked-morelli-no-were-discussing-are-you-sure-am-i/) [Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/) > [A home isn't just a roof over our heads. A home is a place where we feel loved and where we love others. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-home-isn-t-just-a-roof-over-our-heads-a-home-is-a-place-where-we/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Comerado, this is no book,Who touches this, touches a man,(Is it night? Are we here alone?)It is I you hold, and who holds you,I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/comerado-this-is-no-book-who-touches-this-touches-a-man-is-it-night/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Even the stove and the refrigerator looked human, I mean good human - they seemed to have arms and voices and they said, hang…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/even-the-stove-and-the-refrigerator-looked-human-i-mean-good-human/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I separated the joints, the arm joints, the leg joints, and had to do two boilings. I think I used four boxes of Soilex…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-dahmer/i-separated-the-joints-the-arm-joints-the-leg-joints-and-had-to-do/) [Jeffrey Dahmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-dahmer/) > [More courage is required to forgive than is required to take up arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-ramos-horta/more-courage-is-required-to-forgive-than-is-required-to-take-up-arms/) [Jose Ramos-Horta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-ramos-horta/) > [It's been a long time since I asked anything of heaven, and my arms still haven't come down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-porchia/it-s-been-a-long-time-since-i-asked-anything-of-heaven-and-my-arms/) [Antonio Porchia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-porchia/) > [With those who are willing to join, let us cooperate to reduce the burden of arms, to strengthen the structure of peace, to lift…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-nixon/with-those-who-are-willing-to-join-let-us-cooperate-to-reduce-the/) [Richard M. Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-nixon/) > [How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms, by truth when it is attacked by lies, by faith when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-macleish/how-shall-freedom-be-defended-by-arms-when-it-is-attacked-by-arms-by/) [Archibald MacLeish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-macleish/) > [You don't have to say it out loud. I already know why you like me.' 'You do, huh?' 'Yep.' He wrapped his arms around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/you-don-t-have-to-say-it-out-loud-i-already-know-why-you-like-me-you/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/) [Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/) [Browse all 4,470 Arms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You cannot of yourself move your arm or alter your position, situation, posture, do to other men good or evil, or effect the least change in the world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nicolas Malebranche" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or-alter-your-position-situation/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Arms" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or-alter-your-position-situation/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/nicolas-malebranche-23473_arms_you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or_1518358.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/nicolas-malebranche-23473_arms_you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or_1518358.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/687/nicolas-malebranche-23473_arms_you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or_1518358.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You cannot of yourself move your arm or alter your position, situation, posture, do to other men good or…” — Nicolas Malebranche", "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": "Nicolas Malebranche", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-malebranche/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You cannot of yourself move your...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or-alter-your-position-situation/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-malebranche/you-cannot-of-yourself-move-your-arm-or-alter-your-position-situation/#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 } } ] } ```