---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Human greatness does not lie in wealth or…"
description: "\"Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, bu..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/anne-frank-536_born_human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-o_2061238.jpg"
---

#  Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in…

![“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.” quote by Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/anne-frank-536_born_human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-o_2061238.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/anne-frank-536_born_human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-o_2061238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/anne-frank-536_born_human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-o_2061238.jpg)

> “Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.”

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True greatness stems from moral character and kindness, not material success.

**In simple terms:** Goodness matters more than wealth.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate character over wealth.

Themes

ethics humanity character

Mood

inspirational thoughtful

Type

philosophical motivational

When to use this quote

- personal development
- leadership
- community building

Key Concepts

moral philosophy psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What virtues define a great person?
- Can wealth be used for moral good?

A Different Perspective

Wealth can also enable good deeds; balance is needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Goodness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goodness/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Lying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lying/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Shortcomings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shortcomings/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/)

## Related quotes

> [Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-or-power-but-in-character-and-2/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [I'm not interested in a character's goodness. I'm interested in what makes them human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-paulson/i-m-not-interested-in-a-character-s-goodness-i-m-interested-in-what/)

[Sarah Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-paulson/)

> [“Your struggle is your training ground for your assignment on earth. Greatness does not come in a five star package.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicky-verd/your-struggle-is-your-training-ground-for-your-assignment-on-earth/)

[Nicky Verd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicky-verd/)

> [Do you recall, from your childhood on, how very much this life of yours has longed for greatness? I see it now, how from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainer-maria-rilke/do-you-recall-from-your-childhood-on-how-very-much-this-life-of-yours/)

[Rainer Maria Rilke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainer-maria-rilke/)

> [“There is a kind of greatness which does not depend upon fortune;It is a certain manner that distinguishes us, and which seems to destine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/la-rochefoucauld/there-is-a-kind-of-greatness-which-does-not-depend-upon-fortune-it-is/)

[La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/la-rochefoucauld/)

> [“True greatness does not flaunt itself in long displays. Rather, it comes in the briefest moments to quickly appear and then submerge itself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/true-greatness-does-not-flaunt-itself-in-long-displays-rather-it/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

> [My greatness does not extend to this shelf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/my-greatness-does-not-extend-to-this-shelf/)

[Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/)

> [“Your greatness does not lie in the chair you sit upon but on the path you tread and the people who gain following you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-abraham/your-greatness-does-not-lie-in-the-chair-you-sit-upon-but-on-the-path/)

[Amit Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-abraham/)

> [You must never forget that greatness does not guarantee happiness but goodness always does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/you-must-never-forget-that-greatness-does-not-guarantee-happiness-but/)

[Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/)

> [No, our greatness does not come from our government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonny-perdue/no-our-greatness-does-not-come-from-our-government/)

[Sonny Perdue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonny-perdue/)

> [Man's greatness does not consist in being different from the animals that share the earth with him, but in being...conscious of things of which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustav-heinrich-ralph-von-koenigswald/man-s-greatness-does-not-consist-in-being-different-from-the-animals/)

Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald

> [“I know I have my faults and shortcomings, but the blow them all out of proportion!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-know-i-have-my-faults-and-shortcomings-but-the-blow-them-all-out-of/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [Philanthropy lies at the heart of human greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-j-ryan/philanthropy-lies-at-the-heart-of-human-greatness/)

Patrick J. Ryan

> [ \[The\] vain and transitory scenes of human greatness are unworthy of a serious thought. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/the-vain-and-transitory-scenes-of-human-greatness-are-unworthy-of-a/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [Rare is the book that can actually transform us into better, more fulfilled people. Having combed through the research and documented case studies all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-curry/rare-is-the-book-that-can-actually-transform-us-into-better-more/)

[Ann Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-curry/)

## More by Anne Frank

> [“Despite everything, I believe people are really good at heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/despite-everything-i-believe-people-are-really-good-at-heart/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [“Yes, paper does have more patience, and since I’m not planning to let anyone else read this stiff-backed notebook grandly referred to as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/yes-paper-does-have-more-patience-and-since-i-m-not-planning-to-let/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [Generally speaking, men are held in great esteem in all parts of the world, so why shouldn't women have their share? Soldiers and war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/generally-speaking-men-are-held-in-great-esteem-in-all-parts-of-the/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [Ordinary people simply don't know what books mean to us, shut up here. Reading, learning, and the radio are our amusements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/ordinary-people-simply-don-t-know-what-books-mean-to-us-shut-up-here/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [PARENTS CAN ONLY GIVE GOOD ADVICE OR PUT U ON THE RIGHT PATH BUT THE FINAL FORMING OF A PARENTS CHARACTER LIES IN THEIRBOWN…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/parents-can-only-give-good-advice-or-put-u-on-the-right-path-but-the/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [I love you, with a love so great that it simply couldn't keep growing inside my heart, but had to leap out and reveal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-love-you-with-a-love-so-great-that-it-simply-couldn-t-keep-growing/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/everyone-has-inside-of-him-a-piece-of-good-news-the-good-news-is-that/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [I want something from Daddy that he is not able to give me. ... It is only that I long for Daddy's real love:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-want-something-from-daddy-that-he-is-not-able-to-give-me-it-is-only/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [There's one golden rule to keep before you: laugh about everything and don't bother yourself about the others!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/there-s-one-golden-rule-to-keep-before-you-laugh-about-everything-and/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [“Those who don’t know will have to find out by experience that “a quiet conscience gives you strength!” Yours,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/those-who-don-t-know-will-have-to-find-out-by-experience-that-a-quiet/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [I never utter my real feelings about anything. My lighter, superficial side will always be too quick for the deeper side of me, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/i-never-utter-my-real-feelings-about-anything-my-lighter-superficial/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [Riches, prestige, everything can be lost. But the happiness in your heart can only be dimmed; it will always be there as long as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/riches-prestige-everything-can-be-lost-but-the-happiness-in-your/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [At any rate, Daddy usually comes to my defence. Without him I wouldn't be able to stick out here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/at-any-rate-daddy-usually-comes-to-my-defence-without-him-i-wouldn-t/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [“Îmi dau seama că o etapă din ea s-a încheiat definitiv: perioada fără griji și necazuri a anilor de școală nu se mai întoarce…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/mi-dau-seama-c-o-etap-din-ea-s-a-ncheiat-definitiv-perioada-f-r-griji/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [After May 1940, the good times were few and far between; first there was the war, then the capitulation, and then the arrival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/after-may-1940-the-good-times-were-few-and-far-between-first-there/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

[Explore all 434 Anne Frank quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

## More Born quotes

> [My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-taylor/my-mother-says-i-didn-t-open-my-eyes-for-eight-days-after-i-was-born/)

[Elizabeth Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-taylor/)

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [The real world out there isn't nearly as nice as some people prefer it to be, so don't swallow everything your high-born teachers tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-real-world-out-there-isn-t-nearly-as-nice-as-some-people-prefer/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I was born and raised in Orlando, where the economy and culture has been powerfully shaped by tourism, and so I've long been interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-was-born-and-raised-in-orlando-where-the-economy-and-culture-has/)

[Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/)

> [I know that in the rap game you've got a lot of people, that come from poverty, was born in poverty and if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-connor/i-know-that-in-the-rap-game-you-ve-got-a-lot-of-people-that-come-from/)

[Jon Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-connor/)

> [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [Must I go bound while you go free Must I love a manwho doesn't love me Must I be born with so little art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/must-i-go-bound-while-you-go-free-must-i-love-a-manwho-doesn-t-love/)

[Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/)

> [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/)

[Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/)

> [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [For the glory born of Goodness Never dies, And its flag is not half-masted In the skies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-harte/for-the-glory-born-of-goodness-never-dies-and-its-flag-is-not-half/)

[Bret Harte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-harte/)

> [There are two kinds of beauty; there is a beauty which God gives at birth, and which withers as a flower. And there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-kuyper/there-are-two-kinds-of-beauty-there-is-a-beauty-which-god-gives-at/)

[Abraham Kuyper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-kuyper/)

> [If you can believe it, Hollywood wanted to change my birthdate. I was born after Valentine's Day, so they wanted to change it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-romero/if-you-can-believe-it-hollywood-wanted-to-change-my-birthdate-i-was/)

[Cesar Romero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-romero/)

Browse all 11,606 Born quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anne Frank"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-or-power-but-in-character-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Born"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-or-power-but-in-character-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/anne-frank-536_born_human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-o_2061238.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/anne-frank-536_born_human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-o_2061238.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/91c/anne-frank-536_born_human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-o_2061238.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and…” — Anne Frank",
                "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": "Anne Frank",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Human greatness does not lie in...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-or-power-but-in-character-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/human-greatness-does-not-lie-in-wealth-or-power-but-in-character-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
