God gives the nuts, but he does not crack them.

This aphoristic line is generally attributed to Franz Kafka in the context of his notebooks/diaries and the posthumously assembled collections of his short reflections. It fits Kafka’s recurring preoccupation with divine authority, human responsibility, and the burden of agency: the world may present “gifts” or possibilities, but the individual must perform the difficult, often painful work of making them usable. Because Kafka’s private writings circulated in edited form after his death (notably through Max Brod’s publications and later critical editions), the quote is often encountered detached from a precise date or immediate occasion, functioning more as a standalone maxim than a remark tied to a single public event.

The metaphor distinguishes between provision and fulfillment. “Nuts” suggest resources, talents, opportunities, or even spiritual promises—things that appear valuable but are inaccessible without effort. “Cracking” them stands for the labor of interpretation, discipline, and moral choice: meaning and benefit are not automatically delivered. In a Kafkaesque register, the saying can also sound bleakly ironic: the world (or God) offers what looks like sustenance while withholding the ease of access, leaving the individual to struggle with hard shells—obstacles, anxiety, guilt, or bureaucracy. The line thus emphasizes human agency while questioning the fairness or comprehensibility of providence.