--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You are not barred from attaining…" description: "\"You are not barred from attaining greatness by heredity. No matter who or what your ancestors may have been or how unlearned or lowly their station, th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/wallace-d-wattles-1465_ancestor_you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatn_2184109.jpg" --- # You are not barred from attaining greatness by heredity… ![“You are not barred from attaining greatness by heredity. No matter who or what your ancestors may have been or how unlearned or lowly their station, the upward way is open for you. There is no such thing as inheriting a fixed mental position; no matter how small the mental capital we receive from…” quote by Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/wallace-d-wattles-1465_ancestor_you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatn_2184109.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/wallace-d-wattles-1465_ancestor_you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatn_2184109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/wallace-d-wattles-1465_ancestor_you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatn_2184109.jpg) > “You are not barred from attaining greatness by heredity. No matter who or what your ancestors may have been or how unlearned or lowly their station, the upward way is open for you. There is no such thing as inheriting a fixed mental position; no matter how small the mental capital we receive from our parents, it may be increased; no man is incapable of growth.” [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It argues that mental capacity is not inherited; growth is possible regardless of ancestry. **In simple terms:** Growth isn’t limited by birth. Key Takeaway Cultivate your mind regardless of background. Themes growth potential self‑improvement Mood motivational empowering Type self‑help inspirational When to use this quote - education - career advancement - personal development - entrepreneurship Key Concepts psychology self‑efficacy Questions to Reflect On - What habits can expand your mental capital? - How can you overcome inherited limiting beliefs? A Different Perspective Societal barriers may still impede progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ancestor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Heredity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heredity/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) ## Related quotes > [“Because of the unlimited potential packed within each person, attaining greatness should have been the norm, not an oddity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assegid-habtewold/because-of-the-unlimited-potential-packed-within-each-person/) [Assegid Habtewold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assegid-habtewold/) > [Marxism is like a classical building that followed the Renaissance; beautiful in its way, but incapable of growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-macmillan/marxism-is-like-a-classical-building-that-followed-the-renaissance/) [Harold MacMillan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-macmillan/) > [“I am a seed incapable of growth I can’t write you any poetry I can’t apologise eloquently, I can’t show you your beauty. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abeer-abdullah/i-am-a-seed-incapable-of-growth-i-can-t-write-you-any-poetry-i-can-t/) [Abeer Abdullah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abeer-abdullah/) > [There are countless ways of attaining greatness, but any road to reaching one's maximum potential must be built on a bedrock of respect for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buck-rodgers/there-are-countless-ways-of-attaining-greatness-but-any-road-to/) [Buck Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buck-rodgers/) > [Meanwhile, the meek are a long time inheriting the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-edwards/meanwhile-the-meek-are-a-long-time-inheriting-the-earth/) [Bob Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-edwards/) > [I personally think that people who are inheriting the wealth must have an agreement on how that wealth will flow from generation to generation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roshni-nadar/i-personally-think-that-people-who-are-inheriting-the-wealth-must/) [Roshni Nadar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roshni-nadar/) > [Will you, my countrymen, the descendants of these men, warmed by their blood, inheriting their language, and having the principles for which they struggled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-howe/will-you-my-countrymen-the-descendants-of-these-men-warmed-by-their/) [Joseph Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-howe/) > [I am inheriting a country which has been badly ravaged by years of misrule and ineptitude. There has been a wide disconnect between the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwai-kibaki/i-am-inheriting-a-country-which-has-been-badly-ravaged-by-years-of/) [Mwai Kibaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwai-kibaki/) > [I do not believe in inheriting your position in society based on which womb you come from... I think a rich person should leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/i-do-not-believe-in-inheriting-your-position-in-society-based-on/) [Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/) > [Your place in life is not fixed by heredity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/your-place-in-life-is-not-fixed-by-heredity/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [All illnesses have some heredity contribution. It's been said that genetics loads the gun and environment pulls the trigger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-collins/all-illnesses-have-some-heredity-contribution-it-s-been-said-that/) [Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-collins/) > [When it comes to explaining human thought and behavior, the possibility that heredity plays any role at all still has the power to shock.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/when-it-comes-to-explaining-human-thought-and-behavior-the/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [It has been said that a man of genius should select his ancestors with great care - and yet there does not seem to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/it-has-been-said-that-a-man-of-genius-should-select-his-ancestors/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [For Scotland has a double dose of the poison called heredity; the sense of blood in the aristocrat, the sense of doom in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/for-scotland-has-a-double-dose-of-the-poison-called-heredity-the/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [To defy heredity is to defy billions of years, to defy the first cell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emile-m-cioran/to-defy-heredity-is-to-defy-billions-of-years-to-defy-the-first-cell/) [Emile M. Cioran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emile-m-cioran/) ## More by Wallace D. Wattles > [Get rid of the idea that God wants you to sacrifice yourself for others, and that you can secure his favor by doing so;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/get-rid-of-the-idea-that-god-wants-you-to-sacrifice-yourself-for/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [You already have within you everything you need to turn your dreams into reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-already-have-within-you-everything-you-need-to-turn-your-dreams/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [Nothing was ever in any man that is not in you; no man ever had more spiritual or mental power than you can attain,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/nothing-was-ever-in-any-man-that-is-not-in-you-no-man-ever-had-more/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [You can never become a great man or woman until you have overcome anxiety, worry, and fear. It is impossible for an anxious person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-can-never-become-a-great-man-or-woman-until-you-have-overcome/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [It is essential to have good tools, but it is also essential that the tools should be used in the right way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/it-is-essential-to-have-good-tools-but-it-is-also-essential-that-the/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [The more gratefully we fix our minds on the Supreme when good things come to us, the more good things we will receive, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/the-more-gratefully-we-fix-our-minds-on-the-supreme-when-good-things/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [You are not kept poor by lack in the supply of riches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-are-not-kept-poor-by-lack-in-the-supply-of-riches/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [Remember that poise and power are inseparably associated. The calm and balanced mind is the strong and great mind; the hurried and agitated mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/remember-that-poise-and-power-are-inseparably-associated-the-calm-and/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [It is within the power of every man to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/it-is-within-the-power-of-every-man-to-become-great/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [Do not wait for an opportunity to be all that you want to be; when an opportunity to be more than you are now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/do-not-wait-for-an-opportunity-to-be-all-that-you-want-to-be-when-an/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [You want to get rich in order that you may surround yourself with beautiful things, see distant lands, feed your mind, and develop your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-want-to-get-rich-in-order-that-you-may-surround-yourself-with/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [Wisdom is the essential basis of greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/wisdom-is-the-essential-basis-of-greatness/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [The human being lives, moves, and has his being in a limitless ocean of health-power, and he uses this power according to his faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/the-human-being-lives-moves-and-has-his-being-in-a-limitless-ocean-of/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [There is a thinking stuff from which all things are made, and which, in its original state, permeates, and fills the inter spaces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/there-is-a-thinking-stuff-from-which-all-things-are-made-and-which-in/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [I will trust and not be afraid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/i-will-trust-and-not-be-afraid/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) [Explore all 224 Wallace D. Wattles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) ## More Ancestor quotes > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [Food binds us to our roots as strongly as any song or poem. Many of us have learned more about our ancestors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-thomas/food-binds-us-to-our-roots-as-strongly-as-any-song-or-poem-many-of-us/) [Anna Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-thomas/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [Going where no man has gone before is more difficult than it sounds. Our cousins and ancestors were no less curious than we are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/going-where-no-man-has-gone-before-is-more-difficult-than-it-sounds/) [N.D. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) > [I use the phrase 'sibling society' to suggest a culture fundamentally without fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, or ancestors. The thinking is horizontal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bly/i-use-the-phrase-sibling-society-to-suggest-a-culture-fundamentally/) [Robert Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bly/) > [“A very long time ago, some 2.5 million years B.C., the mother of human species as we know it, our ultimate ancestor, appeared in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-f-cantor/a-very-long-time-ago-some-2-5-million-years-b-c-the-mother-of-human/) [Norman F. Cantor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-f-cantor/) > [High birth is an accident, not a virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pietro-metastasio/high-birth-is-an-accident-not-a-virtue/) [Pietro Metastasio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pietro-metastasio/) > [Southerners, whose ancestors a hundred years ago knew the horrors of a homeland devastated by war, are particularly determined that war shall never come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/southerners-whose-ancestors-a-hundred-years-ago-knew-the-horrors-of-a/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Two hundred years ago, before the advent of capitalism, a man's social status was fixed from the beginning to the end of his life;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/two-hundred-years-ago-before-the-advent-of-capitalism-a-man-s-social/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [And I saw for the first time how, despite the isolation of our own lives, we are always connected to our ancestors; our bodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyson-richman/and-i-saw-for-the-first-time-how-despite-the-isolation-of-our-own/) [Alyson Richman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyson-richman/) > [There is an ancient Indian saying: "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children." If we use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-schroeder/there-is-an-ancient-indian-saying-we-do-not-inherit-the-earth-from/) [Patricia Schroeder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-schroeder/) > [It is how it has always been. We will accept the legacy of our ancestors,' Asha says, smiling, and in her smile I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/libba-bray/it-is-how-it-has-always-been-we-will-accept-the-legacy-of-our/) [Libba Bray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/libba-bray/) > [My ancestors came over from Germany about the time of the Civil War and one of them lost a leg and went back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/my-ancestors-came-over-from-germany-about-the-time-of-the-civil-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ Now they \[the Powers\] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empress-dowager-cixi/now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-aggression-and-the-extinction-of/) Empress Dowager Cixi > [A solitary American monk named Thomas Berry writes that in our relationship to nature, we have been autistic for centuries. Wrapped tightly in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janine-benyus/a-solitary-american-monk-named-thomas-berry-writes-that-in-our/) [Janine Benyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janine-benyus/) [Browse all 767 Ancestor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ancestor/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You are not barred from attaining greatness by heredity. No matter who or what your ancestors may have been or how unlearned or lowly their station, the upward way is open for you. There is no such thing as inheriting a fixed mental position; no matter how small the mental capital we receive from our parents, it may be increased; no man is incapable of growth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Wallace D. Wattles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatness-by-heredity-no-matter-who/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ancestor" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatness-by-heredity-no-matter-who/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/wallace-d-wattles-1465_ancestor_you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatn_2184109.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/wallace-d-wattles-1465_ancestor_you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatn_2184109.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9d3/wallace-d-wattles-1465_ancestor_you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatn_2184109.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You are not barred from attaining greatness by heredity. No matter who or what your ancestors may have been…” — Wallace D. Wattles", "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": "Wallace D. Wattles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You are not barred from attaining...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatness-by-heredity-no-matter-who/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-are-not-barred-from-attaining-greatness-by-heredity-no-matter-who/#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 } } ] } ```