Quotes about greatness
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“The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) American poet

The Ladder of St. Augustine, st. 10.
Source: Good Poems for Hard Times

Back To Work, Men, Night

“Gods have great power, but only humans have creativity, the power to change history.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

God, History, Change

“Jessica: “You great drunken jackass!”
Dain: “I did not give you leave to use my Christian name.”

Loretta Chase book Lord of Scoundrels

Source: Lord of Scoundrels

“There is no sin so great as ignorance. Remember this.”

Rudyard Kipling Kim

Source: Kim

“Love is a vessel that contains both security and adventure, and commitment offers one of the great luxuries of life: time. Marriage is not the end of romance, it is the beginning.”

Esther Perel (1958) Belgian Psychotherapist and Author

Source: Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic

Love, Life, Marriage, Time

“Five Great Charters knit the land
together linked hand and hand.
One in the people who wear the crown
Two in the folk who keep the Dead down
Three and Five became stone and mortar
Four sees all in frozen water.”

Garth Nix book Abhorsen

Source: Old Kingdom series (The Abhorsen Trilogy), Sabriel (1995), p. 216.

People, Water, Dead

“These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed.”

Abigail Adams (1744–1818) 2nd First Lady of the United States (1797–1801)

Letter to John Quincy Adams (19 January 1780)
Context: These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or in the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues.
Context: These are times in which a genius would wish to live. It is not in the still calm of life, or in the repose of a pacific station, that great characters are formed. The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties. Great necessities call out great virtues. When a mind is raised, and animated by the scenes that engage the heart, then those qualities which would otherwise lay dormant, wake into life and form the character of the hero and the statesman.

Life, Time

“escape from the black widow spider
is a miracle as great as art.
what a web she can weave
slowly drawing you to her
she'll embrace you
then when she's satisfied
she'll kill you
still in her embrace
and suck the blood from you.”

Charles Bukowski book Love Is a Dog from Hell

Source: Love Is a Dog from Hell

Art, Drawing

“You live in a deranged age - more deranged than usual, because despite great scientific and technological advances, man has not the faintest idea of who he is or what he is doing.”

Walker Percy (1916–1990) Southern philosophical novelist

Source: Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book

Age, Idea

“There is accumulation. There is responsibility. And beyond this there is great unrest.”

Julian Barnes book The Sense of an Ending

Source: The Sense of an Ending

“Society is endangered not by the great profligacy of a few, but by the laxity of morals amongst all.”

Alexis De Tocqueville book Democracy in America

Source: Democracy in America

“A feeling is not bottomless. once felt all the way through, a great peace greets you there”

Alanis Morissette (1974) Canadian-American singer-songwriter

Peace, Way, Feeling

“Science is still only a candle glimmering in a great pitch-dark cavern.”

Mario Vargas Llosa book The War of the End of the World

Source: The War of the End of the World

Science

“Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.”

Kakuzo Okakura (1862–1913) Japanese scholar, author of The Book of Tea

Feeling

“But as the Roman playwright Terence once wrote, From many a bad beginning great friendships have formed”

Sherrilyn Kenyon (1965) Novelist

Source: Seize the Night

Friendship

“The truth is life is full of joy and full of great sorrow, but you can't have one without the other.”

Andre Dubus III book House of Sand and Fog

Source: House of Sand and Fog

Life, Truth, Joy

“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be obtained only by someone who is detached.”

Simone Weil (1909–1943) French philosopher, Christian mystic, and social activist

Reality

“There is no medicine like hope, no incentive so great, and no tonic so powerful as expectation of something tomorrow.”

Orison Swett Marden (1850–1924) American writer

Hope, Powerful, Hope

“The good face pain. But the great — they embrace it.”

Lois McMaster Bujold Vorkosigan Saga

Vorkosigan Saga, Shards of Honor (1986)
Source: Shards of Honour

Pain

“Life would be a great deal easier if dead things had the decency to remain dead.”

Doug MacLeod (1959) Australian writer

Life, Dead

“Nothing so comforts the military mind as the maxim of a great but dead general.”

Barbara W. Tuchman book The Guns of August

Source: The Guns of August

Dead

“The proud person always wants to do the right thing, the great thing. But because he wants to do it in his own strength, he is fighting not with man, but with God.”

Sören Kierkegaard (1813–1855) Danish philosopher and theologian, founder of Existentialism

God, Fight, Personality

“Mom and Dad were great, but being asked where I was going every time I left the house - or where I'd been every time I returned - got old quickly.”

Lauren Weisberger book The Devil Wears Prada

Source: The Devil Wears Prada

Moms, Time, Housing

“I think writers are the most narcissistic people. Well, I musn't say this, I like many of them, a great many of my friends are writers.”

Sylvia Plath (1932–1963) American poet, novelist and short story writer

People, Thinking

“Words are like eggs dropped from great heights. You could no more call them back then ignore the mess they left when they fell.”

Stephen R. Covey (1932–2012) American educator, author, businessman and motivational speaker

“You're taking classes? That's great. Crime scene etiquette, perhaps?”

Kim Harrison (1966) Pseudonym

White Witch, Black Curse

“For with slight efforts how should we obtain great results? It is foolish even to desire it.”

Euripidés (-480–-406 BC) ancient Athenian playwright

Effort

“Okay," Annabeth said. "What exactly do you smell?"
"Something bad," Tyson answered.
"Great," Annabeth grumbled. "That clears it up.”

Rick Riordan book The Sea of Monsters

Source: The Sea of Monsters

“For the record, knowing when people are only pretending to like you isn't such a great skill to have.”

Chuck Palahniuk book Diary

Source: Diary

People

“The great thing is to last and get your work done and see and hear and learn and understand; and write when there is something that you know; and not before, and not too damned much after.”

Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American author and journalist

Understanding, Learning

“I was a fight to the death, and I felt great.”

Rick Riordan book The Red Pyramid

Source: The Red Pyramid

Death, Fight

“It'd be great to be so famous that if I murder someone, I will never, ever, ever serve any jail time, even if it's totally obvious to everyone that I did it.”

Mindy Kaling book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Source: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Time

“Words are but the vague shadows of the volumes we mean. Little audible links, they are, chaining together great inaudible feelings and purposes.”

Theodore Dreiser book Sister Carrie

Variant: How true it is that words are but the vague shadows of the volumes we mean. Little audible links, they are, chaining together great inaudible feelings and purposes.
Source: Sister Carrie

Feeling

“What harbor can receive you more securely than a great library?”

Italo Calvino (1923–1985) Italian journalist and writer of short stories and novels

Source: If on a Winter's Night a Traveler

“I think we can all agree that sleeping around is a great way to meet people.”

Chelsea Handler (1975) American comedian, actress, author and talk show host

People, Way, Thinking, Sleep

“She told the story, however, with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in any thing ridiculous.”

Jane Austen book Pride and Prejudice

Source: Pride and Prejudice

“All outward forms of religion are almost useless, and are the causes of endless strife…. Believe there is a great power silently working all things for good, behave yourself and never mind the rest.”

Beatrix Potter (1866–1943) English children's writer and illustrator

Source: Merry Christmas, Peter Rabbit!

Religion

“Tyson, Frank is a descendant of Poseidon."
"Brother!" Tyson crushed Frank in a hug.
Percy stifled a laugh. "Actually he's more like a great-great-… Oh, never mind. Yeah, he's your brother."
"Thanks." Frank mumbled through a mouthful of flannel.”

Rick Riordan book The Son of Neptune

Source: The Son of Neptune

“I was seducing shepherdesses when you weren't a twinkle in your great-grandcestor's eyes. I think I know what I'm doing.”

Jim Butcher book Storm Front

Source: Storm Front

Thinking

“When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart, and it is very easy to miss it.”

Borís Pasternak (1890–1960) Russian writer

Life, Heart

“I cannot think well of a man who sports with any woman's feelings; and there may often be a great deal more suffered than a stander-by can judge of.”

Jane Austen (1775–1817) English novelist

Feeling, Thinking, Sport, Suffering

“Empathy lies at the heart of Gatsby, like so many other great novels — the biggest sin is to be blind to others' problems and pains. Not seeing them means denying their existence.”

Azar Nafisi book Reading Lolita in Tehran

Source: Reading Lolita in Tehran (2003)

Pain, Problem, Heart

“Love and life belongs to great risk.”

Chuck Palahniuk (1962) American novelist, essayist

Love, Life

“You know a great many things in dreams, often despite the evidence of your eyes. You just know them.”

Cornelia Funke Inkheart trilogy

Source: Inkheart

Dreams

“I like football. I find its an exciting strategic game. Its a great way to avoid conversation with your family at Thanksgiving.”

Craig Ferguson (1962) Scottish-born American television host, stand-up comedian, writer, actor, director, author, producer and voice a…

Family, Way, Game, Football

“The earth is a great piece of stupidity.”

Victor Hugo book Les Misérables

Source: Les Misérables

Stupidity

“You have a great heart, but will only find it to be so through great pain. This is the wisdom of love, and its doubtful gift…. I have endured much suffering and still remain unbitter and unclosed.”

Alison Croggon (1962) contemporary Australian poet, playwright and fantasy novelist

Source: The Naming

Love, Wisdom, Pain, Suffering

“Max lifted his head, with great sorrow and great astonishment.
'There were stars,' He said. 'They burned my eyes.’
… from a Himmel street window, he wrote, the stars set fire to my eyes.”

Markus Zusak book The Book Thief

Source: The Book Thief

Star

“A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight.”

Robertson Davies (1913–1995) Canadian journalist, playwright, professor, critic, and novelist

Books, Youth, Age, Light

“I just thought of a great theory that explains everything. When I went to that party, I was abducted by aliens. They have created a fake Earth and fake high school to study me and my reactions. This certainly explains cafeteria food.”

Laurie Halse Anderson Speak

Source: Speak

School, Food, Study

“Suddenly summoned to witness something great and horrendous, we keep fighting not to reduce it to our own smallness.”

John Updike (1932–2009) American novelist, poet, short story writer, art critic, and literary critic

Fight

“Poetry should be great and unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one's soul, and does not startle it or amaze it with itself, but with its subject.”

John Keats (1795–1821) English Romantic poet

Letter to John Hamilton Reynolds (February 3, 1818)
Letters (1817–1820)

Soul

“Your very flesh shall be a great poem…”

Walt Whitman book Fulles d'herba

Variant: And your very flesh shall be a great poem.
Source: Leaves of Grass

“My idea of good company… is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.'
'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.”

Jane Austen book Persuasion

Source: Persuasion

People, Idea

“The great artists of the world are never Puritans, and seldom even ordinarily respectable.”

H.L. Mencken (1880–1956) American journalist and writer

Source: 1910s, Prejudices, First Series (1919), Ch. 16
Context: The great artists of the world are never Puritans, and seldom even ordinarily respectable. No virtuous man — that is, virtuous in the Y. M. C. A. sense — has ever painted a picture worth looking at, or written a symphony worth hearing, or a book worth reading.

World

“If I had ever learnt, I should have been a great proficient.”

Jane Austen book Pride and Prejudice

Source: Pride and Prejudice

“It takes a great deal of courage to stand alone even if you believe in something very strongly.”

Reginald Rose Twelve Angry Men

Source: Twelve Angry Men

Courageous, Courage