---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He is the most wretched of men who has…"
description: "\"He is the most wretched of men who has never felt adversity.\" — William Shakespeare"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/william-shakespeare-4_adversity_he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-n_1160245.jpg"
---

#  He is the most wretched of men who has never felt adversity.

![“He is the most wretched of men who has never felt adversity.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/william-shakespeare-4_adversity_he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-n_1160245.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/william-shakespeare-4_adversity_he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-n_1160245.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/william-shakespeare-4_adversity_he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-n_1160245.jpg)

> “He is the most wretched of men who has never felt adversity.”

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

## About This Quote

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

A person who never faces hardship lacks depth and resilience.

**In simple terms:** Adversity builds character.

Key Takeaway

Seek challenges to grow.

Themes

adversity growth character

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- career setbacks
- personal loss
- training regimes

Key Concepts

Psychology philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What adversity have you avoided?
- How does hardship shape identity?

A Different Perspective

Too much hardship can cause trauma.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adversity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/)

## Related quotes

> [Most wretched men Are cradled into poetry by wrong: They learn in suffering what they teach in song.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/most-wretched-men-are-cradled-into-poetry-by-wrong-they-learn-in/)

[Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/)

> [“O why doe wretched men so much desire, To draw their dayes vnto the vtmost date, And doe not rather wish them soone expire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-spenser/o-why-doe-wretched-men-so-much-desire-to-draw-their-dayes-vnto-the/)

[Edmund Spenser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-spenser/)

> [You will know that wretched men are the cause of their own suffering, who neither see nor hear the good that is near them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/you-will-know-that-wretched-men-are-the-cause-of-their-own-suffering/)

[Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/)

> [Wretched men cringe before tyrants who have no power, the victims of their trivial hopes and fears. They do not realise that anger is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boethius/wretched-men-cringe-before-tyrants-who-have-no-power-the-victims-of/)

[Boethius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boethius/)

> [ It was sexually a very different thing when \[the models\] worked with men. They felt a charge... I caught them when they were relaxed,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-bassman/it-was-sexually-a-very-different-thing-when-the-models-worked-with/)

[Lillian Bassman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-bassman/)

> [“After supper was over and the toasts had been drunk, the boy Pablo was called in to play for the company while the gentlemen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/after-supper-was-over-and-the-toasts-had-been-drunk-the-boy-pablo-was/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [“Simon still feels high, remembering how it felt to dance with those beautiful, sculpted men, how it felt to be adored. For a moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-benjamin/simon-still-feels-high-remembering-how-it-felt-to-dance-with-those/)

[Chloe Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-benjamin/)

> [“God, now she knew what decent men felt like, the disquiet before taking someone for their first time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/god-now-she-knew-what-decent-men-felt-like-the-disquiet-before-taking/)

[J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/)

> [“You are too quick to pledge yourself to me.’ He felt the hard, bright edges of the pin in his fist. ‘You are my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-are-too-quick-to-pledge-yourself-to-me-he-felt-the-hard-bright/)

[C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/)

> [Men felt a chill in their hearts; a damp in their minds. In a desperate effort to snuggle their feelings into some sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/men-felt-a-chill-in-their-hearts-a-damp-in-their-minds-in-a-desperate/)

[Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/)

> [“But how will you bear an absentminded man who, if he happens to see you, will kill you? That is what tries the nerves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton-2/but-how-will-you-bear-an-absentminded-man-who-if-he-happens-to-see/)

[G. K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton-2/)

> [“But though towards the end of the battle the men felt all the horror of their actions, though they would have been glad to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/but-though-towards-the-end-of-the-battle-the-men-felt-all-the-horror/)

[Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/)

> [“THERE was a curious social situation in Black Hawk. All the young men felt the attraction of the fine, well-set-up country girls who had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willa-cather/there-was-a-curious-social-situation-in-black-hawk-all-the-young-men/)

[Willa Cather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willa-cather/)

> [“Across the river he could see the burnt and crushed buildings of Fredericksburg, the debris piled along the streets, the scattered ruins of people's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-shaara/across-the-river-he-could-see-the-burnt-and-crushed-buildings-of/)

[Jeff Shaara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-shaara/)

> [It is only when you look now and see success that you say that it was good fortune. It was not. We lost 250…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-only-when-you-look-now-and-see-success-that-you-say-that-it-was/)

[Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/)

## More by William Shakespeare

> [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/)

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

> [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/)

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

> [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/)

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

> [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/)

> [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/)

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

> [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/)

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

> [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/)

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

> [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/)

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

> [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/)

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

> [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/)

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

> [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/)

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

> [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/)

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

> [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/)

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

> [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/)

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

> [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/)

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

[Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

## More Adversity quotes

> [We love playing together and we love adversity. You know, back-to-back, the two best teams in the East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-nash/we-love-playing-together-and-we-love-adversity-you-know-back-to-back/)

[Steve Nash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-nash/)

> [When we have public success we also have private struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deion-sanders/when-we-have-public-success-we-also-have-private-struggles/)

[Deion Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deion-sanders/)

> [“The threats that resurfaced in the past 10 years were not an aberration. Al Qaeda and terrorism or one such threat, but it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-friedman/the-threats-that-resurfaced-in-the-past-10-years-were-not-an/)

[George Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-friedman/)

> [He who is content with what has been done is an obstacle in the path of progress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/he-who-is-content-with-what-has-been-done-is-an-obstacle-in-the-path/)

[Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/)

> [“Friction is necessary. Ease of life leads to complacency and the atrophy of the human will and spirit. Within our struggles lives our strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-versey/friction-is-necessary-ease-of-life-leads-to-complacency-and-the/)

[Jason Versey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-versey/)

> [“Every adversity is just another opportunity to excel a little more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-templet/every-adversity-is-just-another-opportunity-to-excel-a-little-more/)

[Michel Templet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-templet/)

> [“Just because she doesn't talk about it, doesn't mean she isn't feeling it. She hurts, but she won't wear it on her sleeve. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfa-h/just-because-she-doesn-t-talk-about-it-doesn-t-mean-she-isn-t-feeling/)

[Alfa H](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfa-h/)

> [Every trial endured and weathered in the right spirit makes a soul nobler and stronger than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-buckham-kennedy/every-trial-endured-and-weathered-in-the-right-spirit-makes-a-soul/)

James Buckham Kennedy

> [Honesty, by evil fortune tried, Finds in adversity the seed of praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovid/honesty-by-evil-fortune-tried-finds-in-adversity-the-seed-of-praise/)

[Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovid/)

> [“Struggles are not associated to a particular people or creed, everyone struggles, not for the same reasons, but each has a personal struggle at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-chirisa/struggles-are-not-associated-to-a-particular-people-or-creed-everyone/)

[Wayne Chirisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-chirisa/)

> [“Watch a man in times of adversity to discover what kind of man he is; for then at last words of truth are drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretius/watch-a-man-in-times-of-adversity-to-discover-what-kind-of-man-he-is/)

[Lucretius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretius/)

> [God often hides His blessing in trouble or trial, which makes it all the sweeter when it comes our way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/god-often-hides-his-blessing-in-trouble-or-trial-which-makes-it-all/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [“Life is not about less mistakes but about more trials”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-e-sever/life-is-not-about-less-mistakes-but-about-more-trials/)

S.E. SEVER

> [Show your contempt for the problem and your concern for the person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/show-your-contempt-for-the-problem-and-your-concern-for-the-person/)

[Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/)

> [When everything feels like an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-everything-feels-like-an-uphill-struggle-just-think-of-the-view/)

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

[Browse all 5,001 Adversity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adversity/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "He is the most wretched of men who has never felt adversity.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Shakespeare"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-never-felt-adversity/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adversity"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-never-felt-adversity/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/william-shakespeare-4_adversity_he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-n_1160245.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/william-shakespeare-4_adversity_he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-n_1160245.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/edd/william-shakespeare-4_adversity_he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-n_1160245.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“He is the most wretched of men who has never felt adversity.” — William Shakespeare",
                "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": "William Shakespeare",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "He is the most wretched of...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-never-felt-adversity/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/he-is-the-most-wretched-of-men-who-has-never-felt-adversity/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
