No man is truly great who is great only in his own lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
The first step toward greatness is to be honest.
—Common Proverb
Might I give counsel to any man, I would say to him, try to frequent the company of your betters. In books and in life, that is the most wholesome society; learn to admire rightly; the great pleasure of life is that. Note what great men admire.
—William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–63) English Novelist
The price of greatness is responsibility.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
No man ever yet became great by imitation.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
All great men are gifted with intuition. They know without reasoning or analysis, what they need to know.
—Alexis Carrel (1873–1944) American Surgeon, Biologist
Let us consider the nature of true greatness in men. The people who can catch hold of men’s minds and feelings and inspire them to do things bigger than themselves are the people who are remembered in history… . those who stir feelings and imagination and make men struggle toward perfection.
—Henry Eyring (1901–81) Mexico-born American Physical Chemist
Every great man is unique.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
The true test of a great man—that, at least, which must secure his place among the highest order of great men—is, his having been in advance of his age.
—Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (1778–1868) Scottish Jurist, Politician
He was dull in a new way, and that made many think him great.
—Samuel Johnson (1709–84) British Essayist
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today… Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
A great man leaves clean work behind him, and requires no sweeper up of the chips.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
He’s the greatest man who ever came out of Plymouth, Vermont. On Calvin Coolidge.
—Clarence Darrow (1857–1938) American Civil Liberties Lawyer
A great thing can only be done by a great person; and they do it without effort.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
We admit that when the divinity we worshipped made itself visible and comprehensible we crucified it.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Well, I wouldn’t say that I was in the great class, but I had a great time while I was trying to be great.
—Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) American Head of State
He is great who is what he is from nature, and who never reminds us of others.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Great men never feel great; small men never feel small.
—Chinese Proverb
Not he is great who can alter matter, but he who can alter my state of mind.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
So surely as you find yourself in the mental attitude of haste, just so surely may you know that you are out of the mental attitude of greatness. Hurry and fear will instantly cut your connect with the universal mind.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Great thoughts, like great deeds, need no trumpet.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Go ahead, do something impossible.
—Seth Godin (b.1960) American Entrepreneur
Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important … they do not mean to do harm … they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
The essence of greatness is the perception that virtue is enough.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
There is no such thing as a little country. The greatness of a people is no more determined by their numbers than the greatness of a man is by his height.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
We shall never resolve the enigma of the relation between the negative foundations of greatness and that greatness itself.
—Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) French Sociologist, Philosopher
Greatness is attained only by the thinking of great thoughts.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
I note the derogatory rumors concerning the use of alcoholic stimulants and lavish living. It is the penalty of greatness.
—W. C. Fields (1880–1946) American Comedian, Actor, Writer
You know, sometimes, when they say you’re ahead of your time, it’s just a polite way of saying you have a real bad sense of timing.
—George McGovern (1922–2012) American Politician, Senator
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