--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What can defeat a strong man who believes…" description: "\"“What can defeat a strong man who believes in himself and cannot be ridiculed down, talked down, or written down? Poverty cannot dishearten him, misfor..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/orison-swett-marden-711_defeat_what-can-defeat-a-strong-man-who-believe_1194727.jpg" --- # What can defeat a strong man who believes in himself and… ![“What can defeat a strong man who believes in himself and cannot be ridiculed down, talked down, or written down? Poverty cannot dishearten him, misfortune deter him, or hardship turn him a hair's breadth from his course. Whatever comes, he keeps his eye on the goal and pushes ahead.” quote by Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/orison-swett-marden-711_defeat_what-can-defeat-a-strong-man-who-believe_1194727.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/orison-swett-marden-711_defeat_what-can-defeat-a-strong-man-who-believe_1194727.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/536/orison-swett-marden-711_defeat_what-can-defeat-a-strong-man-who-believe_1194727.jpg) > ““What can defeat a strong man who believes in himself and cannot be ridiculed down, talked down, or written down? Poverty cannot dishearten him, misfortune deter him, or hardship turn him a hair's breadth from his course. Whatever comes, he keeps his eye on the goal and pushes ahead.”” [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A self‑confident person remains undeterred by poverty, misfortune, or hardship, staying focused on goals despite adversity. **In simple terms:** Self‑belief beats hardship. Key Takeaway Stay focused, ignore setbacks. Themes confidence resilience goal‑orientation Mood determined optimistic Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - financial hardship - personal health challenges - educational pursuits Key Concepts self‑efficacy adversity determination Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance confidence with humility? - What supports keep you grounded during setbacks? A Different Perspective Even the strong can be blinded by overconfidence, missing needed help. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) [Strong man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strong-man/) ## Related quotes > [“You cannot defeat a strong man who believes in himself. He cannot be pushed down, cannot be ridiculed down, talked down, or written down.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/you-cannot-defeat-a-strong-man-who-believes-in-himself-he-cannot-be/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“The weak can defeat the strong in a case as just as mine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/the-weak-can-defeat-the-strong-in-a-case-as-just-as-mine/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Those who defeat others are strong, those who defeat themselves are mighty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/those-who-defeat-others-are-strong-those-who-defeat-themselves-are/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [A enemy can always try many ways to defeat us,But if we have a strong wil Nothing can stop us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ricky/a-enemy-can-always-try-many-ways-to-defeat-us-but-if-we-have-a-strong/) Ricky > [“The world takes us at our own valuation. It believes in the man who believes in himself, but it has little use for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-world-takes-us-at-our-own-valuation-it-believes-in-the-man-who/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/weak-men-wait-for-opportunities-strong-men-make-them/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [The influential man is the successful man, whether he be rich or poor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-influential-man-is-the-successful-man-whether-he-be-rich-or-poor/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-shelley/learn-from-me-if-not-by-my-precepts-at-least-by-my-example-how/) [Mary Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-shelley/) > [The logic behind patriotism is a mystery. At least a man who believes that his own family or clan is superior to all others…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-logic-behind-patriotism-is-a-mystery-at-least-a-man-who-believes/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [I'm a hard-working young man who believes in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granit-xhaka/i-m-a-hard-working-young-man-who-believes-in-myself/) [Granit Xhaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/granit-xhaka/) > [The man who believes that the secrets of the world are forever hidden lives in mystery and fear. Superstition will drag him down. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/the-man-who-believes-that-the-secrets-of-the-world-are-forever-hidden/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [A man who believes in freedom will do anything under the sun to acquire, or preserve his freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/a-man-who-believes-in-freedom-will-do-anything-under-the-sun-to/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“A man who believes everything can be explained by science is just as ignorant as someone who believes everything can be explained by religion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-w-van/a-man-who-believes-everything-can-be-explained-by-science-is-just-as/) [Zack W. Van](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-w-van/) > [A man who believes that all things are possible, approaches the unconventional with an open mind and a fearless heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-who-believes-that-all-things-are-possible-approaches-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What a man believes may be ascertained, not from his creed, but from the assumptions on which he habitually acts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/what-a-man-believes-may-be-ascertained-not-from-his-creed-but-from/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More by Orison Swett Marden > [“We can so educate the will power that it will focus the thoughts upon the bright side of things, and upon objects which elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-can-so-educate-the-will-power-that-it-will-focus-the-thoughts-upon/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“Gulliver was a giant whom the dwarfs captured while he was napping by binding him with tiny threads. Each thread was a trifle which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/gulliver-was-a-giant-whom-the-dwarfs-captured-while-he-was-napping-by/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“The hatred thought cannot live an instant in the presence of the love thought.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-hatred-thought-cannot-live-an-instant-in-the-presence-of-the-love/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“About as poor business as one can engage in is that of going through life with one's eyes so fixed upon what others have,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/about-as-poor-business-as-one-can-engage-in-is-that-of-going-through/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“We tend to get what we expect, and if we expect nothing we get nothing. The stream cannot rise higher than its fountainhead;”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/we-tend-to-get-what-we-expect-and-if-we-expect-nothing-we-get-nothing/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [There never will be a trust in excellence or a combination in superiority. As long as you can do a thing a little better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-never-will-be-a-trust-in-excellence-or-a-combination-in/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [There are powers inside of you which, if you could discover and use, would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-are-powers-inside-of-you-which-if-you-could-discover-and-use/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Most men fail, not through lack of education or agreeable personal qualities, but from lack of dogged determination, from lack of dauntless will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/most-men-fail-not-through-lack-of-education-or-agreeable-personal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Something greater than wealth, grander even than fame — that manhood, character, stand for success, and that nothing else really does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/something-greater-than-wealth-grander-even-than-fame-that-manhood/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“The universe is one great kindergarten. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson. The mountain teaches stability and grandeur; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-universe-is-one-great-kindergarten-everything-that-exists-has/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [If you want to enlarge your life, you must first enlarge your thought of it and of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/if-you-want-to-enlarge-your-life-you-must-first-enlarge-your-thought/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [The moment man cuts himself off from living connection with the human race and its needs, he begins to die from poor circulation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/the-moment-man-cuts-himself-off-from-living-connection-with-the-human/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [“There is something inside of a man which protests against doing that which tends to injure another, that which does not square with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/there-is-something-inside-of-a-man-which-protests-against-doing-that/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [A good system shortens the road to the goal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/a-good-system-shortens-the-road-to-the-goal/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) > [Keep fear out of your child's mind, as you would keep poison out of his body; for fear is the deadliest of mental poisons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orison-swett-marden/keep-fear-out-of-your-child-s-mind-as-you-would-keep-poison-out-of/) [Orison Swett Marden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) [Explore all 396 Orison Swett Marden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orison-swett-marden/) ## More Defeat quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“We don't have to defeat any individual but our own self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-don-t-have-to-defeat-any-individual-but-our-own-self/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“Defeat is a disease, and victory is the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defeat-is-a-disease-and-victory-is-the-cure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The glow of victory and the harsh chill of defeat are two sides of the same coin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-lenartowicz/the-glow-of-victory-and-the-harsh-chill-of-defeat-are-two-sides-of/) Maria Lenartowicz > [After a big defeat, any player feels affected - it is about how long he needs to recover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/after-a-big-defeat-any-player-feels-affected-it-is-about-how-long-he/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/the-ultimate-aim-of-karate-lies-not-in-victory-or-defeat-but-in-the/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/) Victor J. Dzau > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) [Browse all 2,603 Defeat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“What can defeat a strong man who believes in himself and cannot be ridiculed down, talked down, or written down? Poverty cannot dishearten him, misfortune deter him, or hardship turn him a hair's breadth from his course. 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