--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We should never be at the mercy of…" description: "\"We should never be at the mercy of Providence if only we understood that we ourselves are Providence.\" — Vera Brittain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/vera-brittain-12183_compassion_we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-provi_544108.png" --- # We should never be at the mercy of Providence if only we… ![“We should never be at the mercy of Providence if only we understood that we ourselves are Providence.” quote by Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/vera-brittain-12183_compassion_we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-provi_544108.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/vera-brittain-12183_compassion_we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-provi_544108.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/vera-brittain-12183_compassion_we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-provi_544108.png) > “We should never be at the mercy of Providence if only we understood that we ourselves are Providence.” [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizes personal agency over fate, urging self‑determination instead of passive reliance on destiny. **In simple terms:** We control our own destiny. Key Takeaway Take responsibility for your life. Themes agency self‑determination destiny Mood reflective empowering Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - personal growth - leadership decisions - making decisions Key Concepts philosophy empowerment existentialism Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance personal agency with external realities? - What structures limit your ability to act? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on individual control can ignore systemic constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Providence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/providence/) ## Related quotes > [I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many; it is true the incidents of it are numerous,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olaudah-equiano/i-believe-there-are-few-events-in-my-life-which-have-not-happened-to/) Olaudah Equiano > [My trust is in the mercy and wisdom of a kind Providence, who ordereth all things for our good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-lee/my-trust-is-in-the-mercy-and-wisdom-of-a-kind-providence-who-ordereth/) [Robert E. Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-lee/) > [God tempers the cold to the shorn sheep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-etienne-sainte-claire-deville/god-tempers-the-cold-to-the-shorn-sheep/) Henri Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville > [Busy not yourself in looking forward to the events of to-morrow; but whatever may be those of the days Providence may yet assign you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/busy-not-yourself-in-looking-forward-to-the-events-of-to-morrow-but/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“There are no coincidences in God's providence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-woodsmall/there-are-no-coincidences-in-god-s-providence/) [Cindy Woodsmall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-woodsmall/) > [I believe that this was God's Will - to send a boy into the Reich, to let him become its Leader, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/i-believe-that-this-was-god-s-will-to-send-a-boy-into-the-reich-to/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Today I must humbly thank Providence, whose grace has enabled me, who was once an unknown soldier in the War, to bring to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-hitler/today-i-must-humbly-thank-providence-whose-grace-has-enabled-me-who/) [Adolf Hitler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-hitler/) > [Spirituality does two things for you. One, you are forced to become more selfless, two, you trust to providence. The opposite of a spiritual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imran-khan/spirituality-does-two-things-for-you-one-you-are-forced-to-become/) [Imran Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imran-khan/) > [Providence and Manifest Destiny are synonyms often invoked to support arguments based on wishful thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/providence-and-manifest-destiny-are-synonyms-often-invoked-to-support/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [“Really? I'm trying to place you. It seems like we've met before." Did I just issue him a pick up line? Fantastic, I've now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-mcguire/really-i-m-trying-to-place-you-it-seems-like-we-ve-met-before-did-i/) [Jamie McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-mcguire/) > [The wisdom of providence is as much revealed in the rarity of genius, as in the circumstance that not everyone is deaf or blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-c-lichtenberg/the-wisdom-of-providence-is-as-much-revealed-in-the-rarity-of-genius/) [Georg C. Lichtenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-c-lichtenberg/) > [“The banana flavour of his accidental conception, and the banana theme of his accidental death, now all seemed to conspire against him and rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-conrad/the-banana-flavour-of-his-accidental-conception-and-the-banana-theme/) [Tom Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-conrad/) > [Providence has given us hope and sleep as a compensation for the many cares of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/providence-has-given-us-hope-and-sleep-as-a-compensation-for-the-many/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Kings or parliaments could not give the rights essential to happiness... We claim them from a higher source - from the King of kings,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dickinson/kings-or-parliaments-could-not-give-the-rights-essential-to-happiness/) [John Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dickinson/) > [Like many other scientists who hold the Catholic faith, I see the Creator's plan and purpose fulfilled in our universe. I see a planet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-r-miller/like-many-other-scientists-who-hold-the-catholic-faith-i-see-the/) [Kenneth R. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-r-miller/) ## More by Vera Brittain > [“At this time of the year it seems that everything ought to be creative, not destructive, and that we should encourage things to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/at-this-time-of-the-year-it-seems-that-everything-ought-to-be/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [“Mother says that people like me just become intellectual old maids,' I told him. 'I don't see why,' he protested. 'Oh, well, it's probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/mother-says-that-people-like-me-just-become-intellectual-old-maids-i/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [“It is quite impossible to understand,’ I commented afterwards, ‘how we can be such strong individualists, so insistent on the rights and claims of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/it-is-quite-impossible-to-understand-i-commented-afterwards-how-we/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [Babies are a nuisance, of course. But so does everything seem to be that is worth while – husbands and books and committees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/babies-are-a-nuisance-of-course-but-so-does-everything-seem-to-be/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [All that a pacifist can undertake -- but it is a very great deal -- is to refuse to kill, injure or otherwise cause…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/all-that-a-pacifist-can-undertake-but-it-is-a-very-great-deal-is-to/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [An author who waits for the right 'mood' will soon find that 'moods' get fewer and fewer until they cease altogether.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/an-author-who-waits-for-the-right-mood-will-soon-find-that-moods-get/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [ “\[I\] wondered if he was looking up at that same moon, far away, and thinking of me as I was thinking of him.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/i-wondered-if-he-was-looking-up-at-that-same-moon-far-away-and/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [Why, I wonder, do people who at one time or another have all been young themselves, and who ought therefore to know better, generalize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/why-i-wonder-do-people-who-at-one-time-or-another-have-all-been-young/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [Venice is all sea and sculpture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/venice-is-all-sea-and-sculpture/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [I wish those people who write so glibly about this being a holy war and the orators who talk so much about going on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/i-wish-those-people-who-write-so-glibly-about-this-being-a-holy-war/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [College is a secluded life of scholastic vegetation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/college-is-a-secluded-life-of-scholastic-vegetation/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [Meek wifehood is no part of my profession; / I am your friend, but never your possession.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/meek-wifehood-is-no-part-of-my-profession-i-am-your-friend-but-never/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [“Could I write an autobiographical novel, I wonder? Can one make a book out of the very essence of one's self? Perhaps so, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/could-i-write-an-autobiographical-novel-i-wonder-can-one-make-a-book/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [most of us have to be self-righteous before we can be righteous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/most-of-us-have-to-be-self-righteous-before-we-can-be-righteous/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) > [few things are more rewarding than a child's open uncalculating devotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/few-things-are-more-rewarding-than-a-child-s-open-uncalculating/) [Vera Brittain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) [Explore all 56 Vera Brittain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/) ## More Compassion quotes > [Half the misery of human life might be extinguished if men would alleviate the general curse they lie under by mutual offices of compassion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/half-the-misery-of-human-life-might-be-extinguished-if-men-would/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [“I fight with love and kindness as my weapons and compassion as my defense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/i-fight-with-love-and-kindness-as-my-weapons-and-compassion-as-my/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [I really enjoy making people laugh; I've discovered that's a great technique. That's as powerful as stirring their sorrow, stirring their compassion, because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/i-really-enjoy-making-people-laugh-i-ve-discovered-that-s-a-great/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“If you refuse to use physical force, then you will be at the mercy of your oppressor!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segun-magbagbeola/if-you-refuse-to-use-physical-force-then-you-will-be-at-the-mercy-of/) Segun Magbagbeola > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I could not have slept tonight if I had left that helpless little creature to perish on the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-could-not-have-slept-tonight-if-i-had-left-that-helpless-little/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [We are puzzled and bewildered whenever we see suffering in this world because we have become accustomed to the mercy and the long-suffering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/we-are-puzzled-and-bewildered-whenever-we-see-suffering-in-this-world/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [“Helpers in every corner, helpers in every hood. That's how we'll make the move, to reform from rude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/helpers-in-every-corner-helpers-in-every-hood-that-s-how-we-ll-make/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/there-are-a-number-of-qualities-which-are-important-for-mental-peace/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [May the gods have mercy on whoever pisses them off, because Zarek and Jericho will have none for them. (Madoc) You’d better be glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/may-the-gods-have-mercy-on-whoever-pisses-them-off-because-zarek-and/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [When you need empathy, you cannot give empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-b-rosenberg/when-you-need-empathy-you-cannot-give-empathy/) [Marshall B. Rosenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-b-rosenberg/) > [But victimhood was seductive, a release from responsibility and caring. Fear would be transmuted into weary resignation; failure would no longer generate guilt but,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/but-victimhood-was-seductive-a-release-from-responsibility-and-caring/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [“No one has any right to tell you that the way you perceive yourself is wrong. Because by doing so, they also discourage the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamand-kojouri/no-one-has-any-right-to-tell-you-that-the-way-you-perceive-yourself/) [Kamand Kojouri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamand-kojouri/) > [“la ilaha ilallah muhammadun rasulullah, alaihi salatullah wa alihi wal ahibba "shine your mercy like the sun, and be gracious as the earth let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-al-habib/la-ilaha-ilallah-muhammadun-rasulullah-alaihi-salatullah-wa-alihi-wal/) Talib al Habib > [The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-darwin/the-love-for-all-living-creatures-is-the-most-noble-attribute-of-man/) [Charles Darwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-darwin/) [Browse all 9,892 Compassion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We should never be at the mercy of Providence if only we understood that we ourselves are Providence.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vera Brittain" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-providence-if-only-we-understood/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Compassion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-providence-if-only-we-understood/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/vera-brittain-12183_compassion_we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-provi_544108.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/vera-brittain-12183_compassion_we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-provi_544108.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/593/vera-brittain-12183_compassion_we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-provi_544108.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We should never be at the mercy of Providence if only we understood that we ourselves are Providence.” — Vera Brittain", "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": "Vera Brittain", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-brittain/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We should never be at the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-providence-if-only-we-understood/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-brittain/we-should-never-be-at-the-mercy-of-providence-if-only-we-understood/#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 } } ] } ```