--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man's measure is his will." description: "\"A man's measure is his will.\" — Ali Ibn Abi Talib" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/ali-ibn-abi-talib-3270_greatness_a-man-s-measure-is-his-will-2439715_2439715.jpg" --- # A man's measure is his will. ![“A man's measure is his will.” quote by Ali Ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/ali-ibn-abi-talib-3270_greatness_a-man-s-measure-is-his-will-2439715_2439715.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/ali-ibn-abi-talib-3270_greatness_a-man-s-measure-is-his-will-2439715_2439715.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/ali-ibn-abi-talib-3270_greatness_a-man-s-measure-is-his-will-2439715_2439715.jpg) > “A man's measure is his will.” [Ali Ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A person's true worth is measured by their determination and willpower **In simple terms:** Will defines a person's character and achievements Key Takeaway Cultivate strong will and perseverance Themes character determination virtue Mood reflective encouraging Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - Personal goal setting - leadership training - spiritual practice - educational curricula Key Concepts Philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - How do you strengthen your will in adversity? - What supports can reinforce personal determination? A Different Perspective Will alone may not overcome external obstacles ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ## Related quotes > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [Every man must, in a measure, be alone in the world. No heart was ever cast in the same mould as that which we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-berne/every-man-must-in-a-measure-be-alone-in-the-world-no-heart-was-ever/) [Eric Berne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-berne/) > [Man is the measure of all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/man-is-the-measure-of-all-things/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) > [Man is the measure of all things, of things that are that they are, and of things that are not that they are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/man-is-the-measure-of-all-things-of-things-that-are-that-they-are-and/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) > [“Man is the measure of all things of things that are, that they are, of things are not, that they are not”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/protagoras/man-is-the-measure-of-all-things-of-things-that-are-that-they-are-of/) [Protagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/protagoras/) > [ Every man should measure himself by his own standard. \[Lat., Metiri se quemque suo modulo ac pede verum est.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/every-man-should-measure-himself-by-his-own-standard-lat-metiri-se/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a-2/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [When man became the measure of all things what was lost was man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-b-ferguson/when-man-became-the-measure-of-all-things-what-was-lost-was-man/) [Sinclair B. Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-b-ferguson/) > [“Man has tended to make himself the measure of all things. But man’s measure is too tiny to comprehend My majestic vastness. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-young/man-has-tended-to-make-himself-the-measure-of-all-things-but-man-s/) [Sarah Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-young/) > [ “In the foundations of law, or mathematics, or science, or art, or child rearing,… \[the\] issues constitute a polarity extending from the extreme left… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silvan-tomkins/in-the-foundations-of-law-or-mathematics-or-science-or-art-or-child/) Silvan Tomkins > [The saying of Protagoras is like the views we have mentioned; he said that man is the measure of all things, meaning simply that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/the-saying-of-protagoras-is-like-the-views-we-have-mentioned-he-said/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [How few things can a man measure with the tape of his understanding ; How many greater things might he be seeing in the meanwhile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/how-few-things-can-a-man-measure-with-the-tape-of-his-understanding/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Memory is each man's own last measure, and for some, the only achievement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-least-heat-moon/memory-is-each-man-s-own-last-measure-and-for-some-the-only/) [William Least Heat-Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-least-heat-moon/) > [If you truly want to measure the success of a man, you do not measure it by a position he has achieved, but by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/if-you-truly-want-to-measure-the-success-of-a-man-you-do-not-measure/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [“Man is the measure of all things', said the Sophist Protagora (c. 485-410 B.C.). By that he meant that the question of whether a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/man-is-the-measure-of-all-things-said-the-sophist-protagora-c-485-410/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) ## More by Ali Ibn Abi Talib > [To make one good action succeed another, is the perfection of goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/to-make-one-good-action-succeed-another-is-the-perfection-of-goodness/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [Do not be misled by appearances for these are apt to be deceptive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/do-not-be-misled-by-appearances-for-these-are-apt-to-be-deceptive/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [The weakest man is the one who is able to correct his moral defects, but doesn't take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/the-weakest-man-is-the-one-who-is-able-to-correct-his-moral-defects/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [A wise man first thinks and then speaks and a fool speaks first and then thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-wise-man-first-thinks-and-then-speaks-and-a-fool-speaks-first-and/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [Poverty is the worst form of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/poverty-is-the-worst-form-of-death/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [The worst of our faults is our interest in other people's faults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/the-worst-of-our-faults-is-our-interest-in-other-people-s-faults/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [The one from among the Muslims who recites the Qur'an but in the end finds his way to hell, is considerd to be among…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/the-one-from-among-the-muslims-who-recites-the-qur-an-but-in-the-end/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [I was not created to be occupied by eating delicious foods like tied up cattle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/i-was-not-created-to-be-occupied-by-eating-delicious-foods-like-tied/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [Stubbornness destroys good advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/stubbornness-destroys-good-advice/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [A calamity does not descend except due to a sin and it is not lifted except with repentance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-calamity-does-not-descend-except-due-to-a-sin-and-it-is-not-lifted/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [One who is mild rather than forceful has greater capacity for outreach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/one-who-is-mild-rather-than-forceful-has-greater-capacity-for-outreach/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [Riches without faith are the greatest poverty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/riches-without-faith-are-the-greatest-poverty/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [A poor man is like a foreigner in his own country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-poor-man-is-like-a-foreigner-in-his-own-country/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [The outcome of fear is disappointment and shyness is frustration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/the-outcome-of-fear-is-disappointment-and-shyness-is-frustration/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [As the arab say: your friends are three: your friend, your friend's friend and your enemy's enemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/as-the-arab-say-your-friends-are-three-your-friend-your-friend-s/) [Ali Ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) [Explore all 135 Ali Ibn Abi Talib quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) ## 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Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [We need to discover all over again that worship is natural to the Christian, as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/we-need-to-discover-all-over-again-that-worship-is-natural-to-the/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutherford-b-hayes/nothing-brings-out-the-lower-traits-of-human-nature-like-office/) [Rutherford B. Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutherford-b-hayes/) > [Men generally decide upon a middle course, which is most hazardous, for they know neither how to be entirely good nor entirely bad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/men-generally-decide-upon-a-middle-course-which-is-most-hazardous-for/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Every man remembers his childhood as a kind of mythical age, just as every nation's childhood is its mythical age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/every-man-remembers-his-childhood-as-a-kind-of-mythical-age-just-as/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [Greatness is not guarding yourself from people. Greatness is being accepted by the people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/greatness-is-not-guarding-yourself-from-people-greatness-is-being/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-is-distressed-by-his-want-lack-of-ability/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Great men don't 'move to the center' - great men move the center!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/great-men-don-t-move-to-the-center-great-men-move-the-center/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [Perfection is the enemy of greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/perfection-is-the-enemy-of-greatness/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/) Whitney Gaskell [Browse all 7,631 Greatness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man's measure is his will.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ali Ibn Abi Talib" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-man-s-measure-is-his-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Greatness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-man-s-measure-is-his-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/ali-ibn-abi-talib-3270_greatness_a-man-s-measure-is-his-will-2439715_2439715.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/ali-ibn-abi-talib-3270_greatness_a-man-s-measure-is-his-will-2439715_2439715.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ca5/ali-ibn-abi-talib-3270_greatness_a-man-s-measure-is-his-will-2439715_2439715.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man's measure is his will.” — Ali Ibn Abi Talib", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ali Ibn Abi Talib", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man's measure is his will.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-man-s-measure-is-his-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-man-s-measure-is-his-will/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```