Creativity means believing you have greatness.
—Wayne Dyer (b.1940) American Motivational Writer, Author, Motivational Speaker
In historic events, the so-called great men are labels giving names to events, and like labels they have but the smallest connection with the event itself. Every act of theirs, which appears to them an act of their own will, is in an historical sense involuntary and is related to the whole course of history and predestined from eternity.
—Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) Russian Novelist
All greatness is unconscious, or it is little and naught.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Writer
The man who does his work, any work, conscientiously, must always be in one sense a great man.
—Dinah Craik (1826–87) English Novelist, Poet
Great crises produce great men and great deeds of courage.
—John F. Kennedy (1917-63) American Head of State, Journalist
There is a sacred horror about everything grand. It is easy to admire mediocrity and hills; but whatever is too lofty, a genius as well as a mountain, an assembly as well as a masterpiece, seen too near, is appalling.
—Victor Hugo (1802–85) French Novelist
When you see the world as it is, but insist on making it more like it could be, you matter.
—Seth Godin (b.1960) American Entrepreneur
To a mathematician the eleventh means only a single unit : to the bushman who cannot count further than his ten fingers it is an incalculable myriad.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
I shall not remain insignificant, I shall work in the world for mankind….I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living, even after my death.
—Anne Frank (1929–45) Holocaust Victim
A really great man is known by three signs-generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in success.
—Otto von Bismarck (1815–98) Prussian-German Political leader, Nationalist
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
Great thoughts, like great deeds, need no trumpet.
—Philip James Bailey (1816–1902) English Poet
Subtract from the great man all that he owes to opportunity, all that he owes to chance, and all that he has gained by the wisdom of his friends and the folly of his enemies, and the giant will often be seen to be a pigmy.
—Charles Caleb Colton (1780–1832) English Angelic Priest, Writer, Collector
Men in great place are thrice servants; servants of the sovereign or state, servants of fame, and servants of business; so that they have no freedom, neither in their persons, in their actions, nor in their times.—It is a strange desire to seek power over others, and to lose power over a man’s self.
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626) English Philosopher
Greatness is the secular name for Divinity : both mean simply what lies beyond us.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
The difference between the shallowest routineer and the deepest thinker appears, to the latter, trifling ; to the former, infinite.
—George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950) Irish Playwright
Because you are a great lord, you believe yourself to be a great genius. You took the trouble to be born, but no more.
—Pierre Beaumarchais (1732–99) French Inventor, Diplomat, Musician, Fugitive, Revolutionary
To achieve greatness one should live as if they will never die.
—Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Distinction is the consequence, never the object, of a great mind.
—Washington Allston (1779–1843) American Poet, Painter
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 Actor, Comedian, Writer
Some have greatness thrust upon them, but not lately.
—Frank Lane (1896–1981) American Sportsperson, Businessperson
No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Writer
I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.
—Ray Charles (1930-2004) American Singer, Songwriter, Musician
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
It’s not what you take but what you leave behind that defines greatness.
—Howard Gardner (b.1943) American Psychologist, Academic
Do not talk about your greatness; you are really, in essential nature, no great than those around you.
—Wallace Wattles (1860–1911) American New Thought Author
Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
—Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-68) American Civil Rights Leader, Clergyman
Success is all about consistency around the fundamentals.
—Robin Sharma (b.1964) Canadian Writer, Motivational Speaker
It doesn’t take great men to do things, but it is doing things that make men great.
—Arnold Glasow (1905–98) American Businessman
A great man shows his greatness by the way he treats little men.
—Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) Scottish Writer
Every luminary in the constellation of human greatness, like the stars, comes out in the darkness to shine with the reflected light of God.
—Mary Baker Eddy (1821–1910) American Christian Science Religious Leader, Humanitarian, Writer
Anybody can be nobody, but it takes a man to be somebody.
—Eugene V. Debs (1855–1926) American Socialist, Union Leader
We have, I fear, confused power with greatness.
—Stewart Udall (1920–2010) American Politician, Government Official, Author
When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.
—Seth Godin (b.1960) American Entrepreneur