Fortune favors the prepared mind
Meaning: Success comes not from luck alone but from being ready to seize opportunities when they arise.
Origin: From Louis Pasteur's speech of December 7, 1854, at the ceremony opening the new Faculty of Sciences of Lille, where he was dean: "Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés" — in the fields of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: La chance favorise l'esprit préparé (literally: Luck favors the prepared mind)
- Spanish: La suerte favorece a la mente preparada (literally: Luck favors the prepared mind)
- Japanese: 幸運は準備された心を好む (Kōun wa junbi sareta kokoro wo konomu) (literally: Fortune favors the prepared mind)
- German: Auf dem Gebiet der Forschung begünstigt der Zufall nur den vorbereiteten Geist (literally: In the field of research, chance favors only the prepared mind)
More proverbs about Challenge
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- Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is — Anxiety and worry magnify threats beyond their actual size.
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- Turn your wounds into wisdom — Our deepest pains and failures can become our greatest teachers and sources of strength.
- He who dares, wins — Bold action and courage are rewarded; timidity leads to missed opportunities.
- Be fearful when others are greedy — Excessive optimism in markets creates dangerous bubbles; prudent investors withdraw when…
From our tongue twisters
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