---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What makes a man a man? It's the choices…"
description: "\"What makes a man a man? It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things but how he finishes them.\" — Rupert Evans"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/rupert-evans-106128_choices_what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices_1193866.png"
---

#  What makes a man a man? It's the choices he makes. Not how…

![“What makes a man a man? It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things but how he finishes them.” quote by Rupert Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/rupert-evans-106128_choices_what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices_1193866.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/rupert-evans-106128_choices_what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices_1193866.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/rupert-evans-106128_choices_what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices_1193866.png)

> “What makes a man a man? It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things but how he finishes them.”

Rupert Evans

## About This Quote

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

A man's character is defined by his choices and how he finishes them, not by his beginnings.

**In simple terms:** A man's worth lies in his decisions and completions.

Key Takeaway

Focus on finishing what you start.

Themes

character choices completion masculinity

Mood

motivational reflective

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

- career development
- personal growth
- leadership training

Key Concepts

decision making personal responsibility

Questions to Reflect On

- What choices define your identity?
- How do you ensure follow‑through?

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Decision making](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision-making/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/)

## Related quotes

> [What makes a man a man? A friend of mine once wondered. Is it his origins? The way he comes to life? I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/what-makes-a-man-a-man-a-friend-of-mine-once-wondered-is-it-his/)

[Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/)

> [He who commences many things finishes but few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george-bohn/he-who-commences-many-things-finishes-but-few/)

[Henry George Bohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george-bohn/)

> [Keep smiling and never laugh at your man's choices... You are one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cv-pillay/keep-smiling-and-never-laugh-at-your-man-s-choices-you-are-one-of-them/)

[Cv Pillay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cv-pillay/)

> [That is why Christians are told not to judge. We see only the results which a man's choices make out of his raw material.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-is-why-christians-are-told-not-to-judge-we-see-only-the-results/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I always thought what if you took a myth of childhood like the tooth fairy and made it a central scary thing. We did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guillermo-del-toro/i-always-thought-what-if-you-took-a-myth-of-childhood-like-the-tooth/)

[Guillermo del Toro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guillermo-del-toro/)

> [“I'm sure this is a diversionary ploy. But that doesn't mean it isn't real." -Abe Sapien”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arcudi/i-m-sure-this-is-a-diversionary-ploy-but-that-doesn-t-mean-it-isn-t/)

John Arcudi

> [“Well, yeah, you listen to a talking snake and there's gonna be trouble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mignola/well-yeah-you-listen-to-a-talking-snake-and-there-s-gonna-be-trouble/)

[Mike Mignola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mignola/)

> [“Death is complicated." -Johann Kraus”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-arcudi/death-is-complicated-johann-kraus/)

John Arcudi

> [Salt, gathered from the tears of a thousand angels, restraining the essence of Sammael, the Hellhound. The Seed of Destruction. This I can promise,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grigori-rasputin/salt-gathered-from-the-tears-of-a-thousand-angels-restraining-the/)

[Grigori Rasputin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grigori-rasputin/)

> [“Psychics. I love to prove you wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-pascoe/psychics-i-love-to-prove-you-wrong/)

Jim Pascoe

> [“Fire and paper - they do not mix well, n'est pas?" "Perhaps they mix too well.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-pascoe/fire-and-paper-they-do-not-mix-well-n-est-pas-perhaps-they-mix-too/)

Jim Pascoe

> [Philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/philosophy-is-not-best-expressed-in-words-it-is-expressed-in-the/)

[Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/)

> [An actor is defined by the choices he or she makes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-kapoor/an-actor-is-defined-by-the-choices-he-or-she-makes/)

[Arjun Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-kapoor/)

> [“The choices one makes, not one's blood, determine one's destiny - John Steinbeck”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laxmi-hariharan/the-choices-one-makes-not-one-s-blood-determine-one-s-destiny-john/)

Laxmi Hariharan

> [“A generation is not defined by the options it has but by the choices it makes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharanya-haridas/a-generation-is-not-defined-by-the-options-it-has-but-by-the-choices/)

[Sharanya Haridas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharanya-haridas/)

## More by Rupert Evans

> [I'd love to do a play a year, if I'm honest, but it depends what comes up. But I do love theatre and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-evans/i-d-love-to-do-a-play-a-year-if-i-m-honest-but-it-depends-what-comes/)

Rupert Evans

Explore all 2 Rupert Evans quotes

## More Choices quotes

> [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/)

[Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/)

> [“Don’t allow anyone to pressure you into taking a job in a field that doesn’t feel right in your gut. You are the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-james/don-t-allow-anyone-to-pressure-you-into-taking-a-job-in-a-field-that/)

Alison James

> [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/)

Pancho Barnes

> [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/)

[Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/)

> [Personally, I prefer contemporary films, but the market calls for more period choices, especially since China opened up a cinema market in Hong Kong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donnie-yen/personally-i-prefer-contemporary-films-but-the-market-calls-for-more/)

[Donnie Yen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donnie-yen/)

> [Clarissa," he said, "here with the vampire, I see. When things have settled a bit, we really must discuss you choice in pets..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clarissa-he-said-here-with-the-vampire-i-see-when-things-have-settled/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [Change is inevitable but personal growth is a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/change-is-inevitable-but-personal-growth-is-a-choice/)

[Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/)

> [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [If you choose to draw from the inner well of free will, then you can make choices that are outside your current karmic patterns.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/if-you-choose-to-draw-from-the-inner-well-of-free-will-then-you-can/)

[Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/)

> [Act always so as to increase the number of choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinz-von-foerster/act-always-so-as-to-increase-the-number-of-choices/)

[Heinz von Foerster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinz-von-foerster/)

> [Give me a platter of choice finnan haddie, freshly cooked in its bath of water and milk, add melted butter, a slice or two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-claiborne/give-me-a-platter-of-choice-finnan-haddie-freshly-cooked-in-its-bath/)

[Craig Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-claiborne/)

> [I don't know that any woman could ever not think about that at some point - even making the choice not to do it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-don-t-know-that-any-woman-could-ever-not-think-about-that-at-some/)

[Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/)

> [In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity the image of a relation in blood; binding up the constitution…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/in-this-choice-of-inheritance-we-have-given-to-our-frame-of-polity/)

[Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/)

[Browse all 11,466 Choices quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What makes a man a man? It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things but how he finishes them.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rupert Evans"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-evans/what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices-he-makes-not-how-he-starts/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Choices"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-evans/what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices-he-makes-not-how-he-starts/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/rupert-evans-106128_choices_what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices_1193866.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/rupert-evans-106128_choices_what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices_1193866.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fef/rupert-evans-106128_choices_what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices_1193866.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What makes a man a man? It's the choices he makes. Not how he starts things but how he finishes them.” — Rupert Evans",
                "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": "Rupert Evans",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-evans/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What makes a man a man?...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-evans/what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices-he-makes-not-how-he-starts/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-evans/what-makes-a-man-a-man-it-s-the-choices-he-makes-not-how-he-starts/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
