--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: How could a person possibly become what…" description: "\"How could a person possibly become what he is not thinking? Nor is any thought, when persistently entertained, too small to have its effect. The 'divin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/spencer-w-kimball-1179_divinity_how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what_488373.jpg" --- # How could a person possibly become what he is not… ![“How could a person possibly become what he is not thinking? Nor is any thought, when persistently entertained, too small to have its effect. The 'divinity that shapes our ends' is indeed ourselves.” quote by Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/spencer-w-kimball-1179_divinity_how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what_488373.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/spencer-w-kimball-1179_divinity_how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what_488373.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/spencer-w-kimball-1179_divinity_how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what_488373.jpg) > “How could a person possibly become what he is not thinking? Nor is any thought, when persistently entertained, too small to have its effect. The 'divinity that shapes our ends' is indeed ourselves.” [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thoughts shape identity; persistent ideas, no matter how small, influence who we become. **In simple terms:** Thinking determines who we become. Key Takeaway Mind your thoughts. Themes identity thought self spirituality mindset Mood reflective contemplative Type philosophical spiritual When to use this quote - personal growth - spiritual practice - decision making - creative work Key Concepts self‑realization causality divine nature Questions to Reflect On - What recurring thought defines you? - How can you replace limiting thoughts? A Different Perspective Thoughts can be misguided; not all thoughts are beneficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Divinity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divinity/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Shapes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shapes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thought/) ## Related quotes > [“Much of the time he lay part-dressed on his bed, sipping gin, and thinking, and thinking, - though what it was, of which he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/much-of-the-time-he-lay-part-dressed-on-his-bed-sipping-gin-and/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Thinking about what's beyond thought, is opening up your mind to tap into infinite intelligence designed to expand your consciousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana-ph-d-mba/thinking-about-what-s-beyond-thought-is-opening-up-your-mind-to-tap/) [Dr. Jacinta Mpalyenkana, Ph.D, MBA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-jacinta-mpalyenkana-ph-d-mba/) > [“What we want to do is take a step back from thinking our thoughts, instead, we want to observe them. In order to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-tuhovsky/what-we-want-to-do-is-take-a-step-back-from-thinking-our-thoughts/) [Ian Tuhovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-tuhovsky/) > [And so we keep on thinking, because the next thought might be the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/and-so-we-keep-on-thinking-because-the-next-thought-might-be-the/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [After reading all that has been written, and after thinking all that can be thought, on the topics of God and the soul, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/after-reading-all-that-has-been-written-and-after-thinking-all-that/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [When the conscious mind expands to embrace deeper levels of thinking, the thought wave becomes more powerful and results in added energy and intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/when-the-conscious-mind-expands-to-embrace-deeper-levels-of-thinking/) [Maharishi Mahesh Yogi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maharishi-mahesh-yogi/) > [...thinking as he had thought before and would think again and as every other man has thought: how false the most profound book turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/thinking-as-he-had-thought-before-and-would-think-again-and-as-every/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought: What the hell good would that do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-going-to-buy-a-copy-of-the-power-of-positive-thinking-and-then-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“And I'm thinking a thought that is something like, "Be thankful for what's left of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-pink/and-i-m-thinking-a-thought-that-is-something-like-be-thankful-for/) [Sam Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-pink/) > [“Thinking over this thought, this whole thinking makes no sense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janosch/thinking-over-this-thought-this-whole-thinking-makes-no-sense/) Janosch > [We are the producers of our own thinking. Thought is not something that happens to us, but something that we do to ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-spence/we-are-the-producers-of-our-own-thinking-thought-is-not-something/) [John Spence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-spence/) > [“I was going to buy a copy of The Power of Positive Thinking, and then I thought, ‘What the hell good would that do?’…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-burkeman/i-was-going-to-buy-a-copy-of-the-power-of-positive-thinking-and-then-2/) [Oliver Burkeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-burkeman/) > [I was going to buy a copy of "The Power of Positive Thinking", and then I thought: What good would that do?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronnie-shakes/i-was-going-to-buy-a-copy-of-the-power-of-positive-thinking-and-then/) [Ronnie Shakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronnie-shakes/) > [“Negative thinking is a first thought in human mind, when we see somethings is wrong. Let's not judged other,we never know what's going on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-faitz/negative-thinking-is-a-first-thought-in-human-mind-when-we-see/) [Evelyn Faitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-faitz/) > [“I'm discussing how thought would properly work—and does in fact work in many areas—first, to show that thought is not all bad; and second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bohm/i-m-discussing-how-thought-would-properly-work-and-does-in-fact-work/) [David Bohm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bohm/) ## More by Spencer W. Kimball > [My plea therefore is this: Let us get our instruments tightly strung and our melodies sweetly sung. Let us not die with our music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/my-plea-therefore-is-this-let-us-get-our-instruments-tightly-strung/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [You are unique, and there may be incidents in your experience that are more noble and praiseworthy in their way than those recorded in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/you-are-unique-and-there-may-be-incidents-in-your-experience-that-are/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [We have a commitment to serve our Lord. We have an assurance that the cause is just and worthy. But, above all, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/we-have-a-commitment-to-serve-our-lord-we-have-an-assurance-that-the/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [“Self-justification is the enemy of repentance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/self-justification-is-the-enemy-of-repentance/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Being human, we would expel from our lives physical pain and mental anguish and assure ourselves of continual ease and comfort, but if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/being-human-we-would-expel-from-our-lives-physical-pain-and-mental/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [“Henry Ward Beecher expressed the thought this way: "I can forgive but I cannot forget is another way of saying I cannot forgive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/henry-ward-beecher-expressed-the-thought-this-way-i-can-forgive-but-i/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [“While addressing the Saints from this pulpit in 1948, the late President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., spoke concerning having a prophet and a listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/while-addressing-the-saints-from-this-pulpit-in-1948-the-late/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [ \[Humility is:\] Greatness in plain clothes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/humility-is-greatness-in-plain-clothes/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [ “There may be some who would disregard \[the family\] and ignore the important things, yet we feel that almost everyone who stops to think… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/there-may-be-some-who-would-disregard-the-family-and-ignore-the/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Jesus perfected his life and became our Christ. Priceless blood of a god was shed, and he became our Savior; his perfected life was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/jesus-perfected-his-life-and-became-our-christ-priceless-blood-of-a/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [To be sure your life will be full and abundant, you must plan your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/to-be-sure-your-life-will-be-full-and-abundant-you-must-plan-your-life/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Life gives to all the choice. You can satisfy yourself with mediocrity if you wish. You can be common, ordinary, dull, colorless, or yyou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/life-gives-to-all-the-choice-you-can-satisfy-yourself-with-mediocrity/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [Always keep good company. Never waste an hour with anyone who doesn't lift you up and encourage you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/always-keep-good-company-never-waste-an-hour-with-anyone-who-doesn-t/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [“Honorable, happy, and successful marriage is surely the principal goal of every normal person. Marriage is perhaps the most vital of all the decisions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/honorable-happy-and-successful-marriage-is-surely-the-principal-goal/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) > [A dozen times a day we come to a fork in the road and must decide which way we will go. It is important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/a-dozen-times-a-day-we-come-to-a-fork-in-the-road-and-must-decide/) [Spencer W. Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) [Explore all 278 Spencer W. Kimball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/) ## More Divinity quotes > [To fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity, and still be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tool/to-fathom-the-power-to-witness-the-beauty-to-bathe-in-the-fountain-to/) [Tool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tool/) > [Were you indeed not blinded by the Curse Of Self-exile, that still grows worse and worse, Yourselves would know that, though you see him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farid-al-din-attar/were-you-indeed-not-blinded-by-the-curse-of-self-exile-that-still/) [Farid al-Din Attar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farid-al-din-attar/) > [It is through the body that everything comes to the mind. It is through and with your body that you have to reach realization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/b-k-s-iyengar/it-is-through-the-body-that-everything-comes-to-the-mind-it-is/) [B.K.S. Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/b-k-s-iyengar/) > [You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/you-are-my-inspiration-and-my-folly-you-are-my-light-across-the-sea/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Our great thoughts, our great affections, the truths of our life, never leave us. Surely they can not separate from our consciousness, shall follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/our-great-thoughts-our-great-affections-the-truths-of-our-life-never/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [The end product of mixing your ability with Divinity is to better humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mbuko/the-end-product-of-mixing-your-ability-with-divinity-is-to-better/) [Michael Mbuko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mbuko/) > [As soon as I find myself in the presence of a rich man, I cannot help looking upon him as an exceptional and beautiful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octave-mirbeau/as-soon-as-i-find-myself-in-the-presence-of-a-rich-man-i-cannot-help/) [Octave Mirbeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octave-mirbeau/) > [I have now been an officer in this Church for a very long time. I am an old man who cannot deny the calendar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/i-have-now-been-an-officer-in-this-church-for-a-very-long-time-i-am/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-man-is-a-divinity-in-disguise-a-god-playing-the-fool/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“No scripture is more divine than the innate divinity of the human self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/no-scripture-is-more-divine-than-the-innate-divinity-of-the-human-self/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Ah fair Zenocrate, divine Zenocrate, Fair is too foul an epithet for thee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/ah-fair-zenocrate-divine-zenocrate-fair-is-too-foul-an-epithet-for/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Where there is no purity, there is no Unity. Without Unity you cannot attain Divinity. Then your life is just a waste. First purity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/where-there-is-no-purity-there-is-no-unity-without-unity-you-cannot/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“You know how it goes: at some point in your life, you fell in love with someone and had a glimpse of God. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/you-know-how-it-goes-at-some-point-in-your-life-you-fell-in-love-with/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [The history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves. That faith calls out the divinity within.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-history-of-the-world-is-the-history-of-a-few-men-who-had-faith-in/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [There are many concepts of spirituality, among them, various notions of divinity developed in the Judaeo-Christian-Islamic religions. Within these the concepts vary greatly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-many-concepts-of-spirituality-among-them-various-notions-of/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) [Browse all 892 Divinity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divinity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "How could a person possibly become what he is not thinking? Nor is any thought, when persistently entertained, too small to have its effect. The 'divinity that shapes our ends' is indeed ourselves.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Spencer W. Kimball" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what-he-is-not-thinking-nor-is-any/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Divinity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what-he-is-not-thinking-nor-is-any/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/spencer-w-kimball-1179_divinity_how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what_488373.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/spencer-w-kimball-1179_divinity_how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what_488373.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f96/spencer-w-kimball-1179_divinity_how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what_488373.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“How could a person possibly become what he is not thinking? Nor is any thought, when persistently…” — Spencer W. Kimball", "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": "Spencer W. Kimball", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spencer-w-kimball/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "How could a person possibly become...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what-he-is-not-thinking-nor-is-any/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spencer-w-kimball/how-could-a-person-possibly-become-what-he-is-not-thinking-nor-is-any/#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 } } ] } ```