Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.

It takes greater virtues to bear good fortune than bad.

When bad fortune occurs, the unresourceful, unimaginative man looks about him to attach the blame to someone else; the resolute accepts misfortune and endeavors to survive, mature, and improve because of it.

pero, como la virtud dé alguna luz de sí, aunque sea por los inconvenientes y resquicios de la estrecheza, viene a ser estimada de los altos y nobles espíritus, y, por el consiguiente, favorecida.

Good sir, it is as much the part of great spirits to have patience when the world frowns upon them, as to be joyful when all goes well. Indeed I have heard say that this same she-thing they call Fortune is a whimsical freakish drunken queen, and blind into the bargain; so that she neither sees what she does, nor knows whom she raises, nor whom she casts down.

"Il faut de plus grandes vertus pour soutenir la bonne fortune que la mauvaise.

"It takes greater virtues to withstand good fortune than bad fortune.

Great hearts, my dear master, should be patient in misfortune as well as joyful in prosperity. And this I judge from myself. For if I was merry when I was Governor now that I’m a squire on foot I’m not sad, for I’ve heard tell that Fortune, as they call her, is a drunken and capricious woman and, worse still, blind; and so she doesn’t see what she’s doing, and doesn’t know whom she is casting down or raising up.

It is the fortune of all good men that their virtue rises in glory after their deaths, and that the envy which evil men conceive against them never outlives them long; some have the happiness even to see it die before them; but in Numa's case, also, the fortunes of the succeeding kings served as foils to set off the brightness of his reputation.

It has been observed in all ages that the advantages of nature or of fortune have contributed very little to the promotion of happiness; and that those whom the splendour of their rank, or the extent of their capacity, have placed upon the summits of human life, have not often given any just occasion to envy in those who look up to them from a lower station; whether it be that apparent superiority incites great designs, and great designs are naturally liable to fatal miscarriages; or that the general lot of mankind is misery, and the misfortunes of those whose eminence drew upon them an universal attention, have been more carefully recorded, because they were more generally observed, and have in reality only been more conspicuous than others, not more frequent, or more severe.

Great minds have purposes; others have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them.

I agree that is it important to be of a virtuous nature, but I would also contend that if you had to choose between giving a man a noble disposition or teaching him to think clearly, you'd do better to teach him to think clearly. Too many problems in this world are cause by men with noble dispositions and clouded minds.

"Les hommes extrêmement heureux, et les hommes extrêmement malheureux a , sont également portés à la dureté ; témoin les moines et les conquérants. Il n’y a que la médiocrité et le mé- lange de la bonne et de la mauvaise fortune, qui donnent de la douceur et de la pitié."
The Spirit of the Laws, Bk VI, Ch IX

Great minds have purpose, others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them.

The moderation of fortunate people comes from the calm which good fortune gives to their tempers.