Quotes about Greatness

To be great is to be misunderstood.

Great men are they who see that spiritual is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world.

Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.

The essence of greatness is the perception that virtue is enough.

Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood. -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...

The day is always (hers or) his, who works in it with serenity and great aims.

Learn how to carry a friendship greatly, whether or not it is returned. Why should one regret if the receiver is not equally generous? It never troubles the sun that some of his rays fall wide and vain into ungrateful space, and only a small part on the reflecting planet. Let your greatness educate the crude and cold companion. If he is unequal, he will presently pass away; but thou art enlarged by thy own shining.

Speak what you think now in hard words and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.—'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.'—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.

What your heart thinks great is great. The soul's emphasis is always right.

Religion is the perception of that power which constructs the greatness of the centuries out of the paltriness of the hours.

Silence is a solvent that destroys personality, and gives us leave to be great and universal.

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.