--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the destiny of the weak to be…" description: "\"It is the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong.\" — Otto von Bismarck" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/203/otto-von-bismarck-3444_destiny_it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devo_2500375.png" --- # It is the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong. ![“It is the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong.” quote by Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/203/otto-von-bismarck-3444_destiny_it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devo_2500375.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/203/otto-von-bismarck-3444_destiny_it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devo_2500375.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/203/otto-von-bismarck-3444_destiny_it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devo_2500375.png) > “It is the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong.” [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The strong naturally dominate the weak, implying a harsh social hierarchy. **In simple terms:** Strength dominates weakness. Key Takeaway Recognize power imbalances. Themes power strength hierarchy Mood serious reflective Type political philosophical When to use this quote - politics - economics - conflict resolution Key Concepts social Darwinism political theory Questions to Reflect On - How can societies protect the vulnerable? - What responsibilities do the strong have? A Different Perspective Such fatalistic view can justify oppression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Destiny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) [Strength](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength/) ## Related quotes > [I grew up with comics. 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"Remember me always, my love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/because-i-am-about-to-be-devoured-by-poodles-i-quip-remember-me/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [I loved American filmmakers when I was growing up. I didn't get to film school or anything. I was a very bad student. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-haggis/i-loved-american-filmmakers-when-i-was-growing-up-i-didn-t-get-to/) [Paul Haggis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-haggis/) ## More by Otto von Bismarck > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/fools-learn-from-experience-i-prefer-to-learn-from-the-experience-of/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Earthly majesty is always akin to the fallen angel, who is proud and unhappy, beautiful but troubled, and whose plans and efforts, though vast,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/earthly-majesty-is-always-akin-to-the-fallen-angel-who-is-proud-and/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [“The Balkans aren't worth the life of a single Pomeranian grenadier.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-balkans-aren-t-worth-the-life-of-a-single-pomeranian-grenadier/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/never-believe-anything-in-politics-until-it-has-been-officially-denied/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [The government should cultivate the view also among the propertyless classes of the population, those who are the most numerous and the least educated,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/the-government-should-cultivate-the-view-also-among-the-propertyless/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/be-polite-write-diplomatically-even-in-a-declaration-of-war-one/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [When a man says he approves of something in principle, it means he hasn't the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/when-a-man-says-he-approves-of-something-in-principle-it-means-he/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Preventive war is like committing suicide out of fear of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/preventive-war-is-like-committing-suicide-out-of-fear-of-death/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Fools you are who say you like to learn from your mistakes. 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War on the destiny of man! Doom on the sun! Before death takes you, O take back this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-on-the-destiny-of-man-doom-on-the-sun-before-death-takes-you-o/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Anatomy is destiny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/anatomy-is-destiny/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“To be a Sufi is to detach from fixed ideas and from preconceptions; and not to try to avoid what is your lot.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/to-be-a-sufi-is-to-detach-from-fixed-ideas-and-from-preconceptions/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [ Man blindly works the will of fate. \[Ger., Blindlings that er blos den Willen des Geschickes.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christoph-martin-wieland/man-blindly-works-the-will-of-fate-ger-blindlings-that-er-blos-den/) [Christoph Martin Wieland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christoph-martin-wieland/) > [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/) > [“It's morning now, and I miss the soft rasp of her voice already. Ugh. I'm in trouble, aren't I?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-shand/it-s-morning-now-and-i-miss-the-soft-rasp-of-her-voice-already-ugh-i/) [Pat Shand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-shand/) > [You can't choose what stays and what stays away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-welch/you-can-t-choose-what-stays-and-what-stays-away/) [Florence Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-welch/) > [“Failing to meet your true destiny is a tragic act of free will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthon-st-maarten/failing-to-meet-your-true-destiny-is-a-tragic-act-of-free-will/) [Anthon St. Maarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthon-st-maarten/) > [Somehow destiny comes into play. These children end up with you and you end up with them. It's something quite magical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-kidman/somehow-destiny-comes-into-play-these-children-end-up-with-you-and/) [Nicole Kidman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-kidman/) > [“In that instant it all seemed to come clear to him- it came in a grisly flash of light, and he realized that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/in-that-instant-it-all-seemed-to-come-clear-to-him-it-came-in-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Destiny is the ordained intention God has sacredly prepared with your name on it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-lynch/destiny-is-the-ordained-intention-god-has-sacredly-prepared-with-your/) [John S. Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-lynch/) > [“There is no interaction without God with interaction with men”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/there-is-no-interaction-without-god-with-interaction-with-men/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [“Fate and future both are servant to the determined, for they are nothing but creation of human determination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/fate-and-future-both-are-servant-to-the-determined-for-they-are/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) [Browse all 7,925 Destiny quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destiny/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Otto von Bismarck" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devoured-by-the-strong/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Destiny" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devoured-by-the-strong/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/203/otto-von-bismarck-3444_destiny_it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devo_2500375.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/203/otto-von-bismarck-3444_destiny_it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devo_2500375.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/203/otto-von-bismarck-3444_destiny_it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devo_2500375.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is the destiny of the weak to be devoured by the strong.” — Otto von Bismarck", "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": "Otto von Bismarck", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is the destiny of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devoured-by-the-strong/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/it-is-the-destiny-of-the-weak-to-be-devoured-by-the-strong/#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 } } ] } ```