Fortune Favors the Bold

I have often heard the phrase "Fortune favors the bold" but never knew where it came from, nor exactly how to interpret it.

I think von Hildebrand would be considered a bold person (see my articles on him here, here, here, here, here, and here), but what about the rest of us, who are not necessarily bold, or warriors?

Well, Jonathan Sanford, of The Franciscan University of Steubenville says:

"[W]e all ought to be warriors like von Hildebrand"

in our search for truth.

Wikipedia presents the origins of "Fortune Favors the Bold" as:

The phrase means that Fortuna, the Goddess of luck, is more likely to help those who take risks or action. Its earliest recorded use is by the second century BC playwright Terence, Phormio, 203 (Fortis Fortuna adjuvat) and by Ennius, Ann. 257 (Fortibus est Fortuna viris data). A similar phrase (Audentis Fortuna juvat) is shouted by Turnus in Virgil's Aeneid, 10.284, as he begins the charge against Aeneas' Trojans. This phrase is often quoted as Audentes Fortuna juvat or Audaces Fortuna juvat.

And at the bottom of that article, Wikipedia has a link with the words:

God helps those who help themselves

But then, in the long article at this post, the Wikipedia writers inform us that this phrase is not Biblical.

So why is it so prevalent in our post-Antiquity world? And why does it prevail?

I do think that it is a Biblical concept, and that a large part of the message of the Bible is to be bold. All our Biblical heroes were bold in one way or another. I think it is clear in the parable of the bags of gold (Matthew 25:14-30):

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. "Master," he said, "you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more."

His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"

The man with two bags of gold also came. "Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more."

His master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!"

Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. "Master," he said, "I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you."

His master replied, "You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

"So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Of course, the correct use of our boldness comes from using it with God as our guide.

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Posted By: Kidist P. Asrat
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