I not only bow to the inevitable; I am fortified by it.

The speaker distinguishes between mere resignation and an active, strengthening acceptance. To “bow to the inevitable” suggests yielding to what cannot be changed; to be “fortified by it” goes further, implying that necessity can become a source of inner discipline, clarity, or courage. The line captures a stoic-inflected attitude often associated with Wilder’s dramatic and philosophical interests: human beings cannot control fate, time, or death, but they can choose the stance they take toward those limits. The quote’s force lies in its reversal—what seems like defeat (inevitability) becomes a kind of support, turning constraint into moral or emotional reinforcement.