---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be great, you have to be willing to be…"
description: "\"To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated and misunderstood.\" — Anonymous"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/anonymous-1_great_to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be_211983.jpg"
---

#  To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated…

![“To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated and misunderstood.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/anonymous-1_great_to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be_211983.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/anonymous-1_great_to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be_211983.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/anonymous-1_great_to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be_211983.jpg)

> “To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated and misunderstood.”

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

## About This Quote

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

Emphasizes that true greatness requires enduring criticism, hatred, and misunderstanding from others

**In simple terms:** Greatness involves being mocked, hated, and misunderstood

Key Takeaway

Accept criticism as part of achieving greatness

Themes

resilience courage authenticity

Mood

determined defiant

Type

motivational inspirational

When to use this quote

- public speaking
- creative work
- entrepreneurship
- social activism

Key Concepts

psychology social dynamics leadership

Questions to Reflect On

- How will you handle misunderstanding while staying true to your vision?
- What strategies help you stay resilient against criticism?

A Different Perspective

Not everyone will understand or support you, which can be discouraging

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Misunderstood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/misunderstood/)

## Related quotes

> [Small minds can't comprehend big spirits, to be great you have to be willing to be mocked, hated, and misunderstood... stay strong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/small-minds-can-t-comprehend-big-spirits-to-be-great-you-have-to-be/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

> [I'm not living my life to be 'liked'. I could care less about fitting in. As long as I'm living my purpose, I'm willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-laymon/i-m-not-living-my-life-to-be-liked-i-could-care-less-about-fitting-in/)

Jaden Laymon

> [Enthusiats are used to being mocked, maligned and misunderstood. We don't really mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/enthusiats-are-used-to-being-mocked-maligned-and-misunderstood-we-don/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [Emo: e-mo 1. A much-maligned, mocked, and misunderstood term for melodic, expressive, and confessional punk rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-greenwald/emo-e-mo-1-a-much-maligned-mocked-and-misunderstood-term-for-melodic/)

[Andy Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-greenwald/)

> [“And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-when-they-had-mocked-him-they-took-off-the-purple-from-him-and/)

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

> [Potter is mocked by a faculty member for the idea that there is evil in the world from which even children need to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/potter-is-mocked-by-a-faculty-member-for-the-idea-that-there-is-evil/)

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

> [We all need to be mocked from time to time, lest we take ourselves too seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-all-need-to-be-mocked-from-time-to-time-lest-we-take-ourselves-too/)

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

> [Small minds cant comprehend big spirits. To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated, and misunderstood. Stay strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/small-minds-cant-comprehend-big-spirits-to-be-great-you-have-to-be/)

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

> [Teenagers are the most misunderstood people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teenagers-are-the-most-misunderstood-people/)

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

> [Don't judge too quickly what you see; Treat lightly first impression;Misundertanding multiply without right information](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-judge-too-quickly-what-you-see-treat-lightly-first-impression/)

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

> [My say nothing but do something way of doing things appears to be being misunderstood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-say-nothing-but-do-something-way-of-doing-things-appears-to-be/)

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

> [She, too, had worn a mask in assuming a contempt for him, whilst, as a matter of fact, she completely misunderstood him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-too-had-worn-a-mask-in-assuming-a-contempt-for-him-whilst-as-a/)

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

> [I never say how I really feel because I feel like sometimes no one understands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-never-say-how-i-really-feel-because-i-feel-like-sometimes-no-one/)

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

> [TEENAGER the most misunderstood people on earth, treated like children but expected to act like adults](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teenager-the-most-misunderstood-people-on-earth-treated-like-children/)

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

> [Teenagers: The most misunderstood people on earth. Treated like children and expected to act like adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/teenagers-the-most-misunderstood-people-on-earth-treated-like/)

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

## More by Anonymous

> [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/)

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

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

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

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

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

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

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

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

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

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

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

> [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/)

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

> [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/)

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

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

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

> [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/)

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

> [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/)

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

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

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

> [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/)

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

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

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

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

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

[Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More Great quotes

> [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/)

[William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/)

> [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/)

[Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/)

> [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/)

[Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/)

> [I'm very proud of some of the stories I've been given thanks to the team at 'Emmerdale,' they've been great over the years so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-fletcher/i-m-very-proud-of-some-of-the-stories-i-ve-been-given-thanks-to-the/)

[Kelvin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-fletcher/)

> [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/)

[Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/)

> [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/)

[Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/)

> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

[Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/)

> [No matter how many great things you say about Jacques Pepin, there's always more. Through his books and videos, he taught me the importance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/no-matter-how-many-great-things-you-say-about-jacques-pepin-there-s/)

[J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/)

> [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/)

[Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/)

> [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/)

[Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/)

> [I always bump into people that Ive met. Not great friends, but if I bump into somebody Ive known and I wont recognise them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/i-always-bump-into-people-that-ive-met-not-great-friends-but-if-i/)

[Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/)

> [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/)

[Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/)

> [I'm a lot of things, but none of them are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-nelson/i-m-a-lot-of-things-but-none-of-them-are-great/)

[Don Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-nelson/)

> [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/)

[Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/)

> [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/)

[Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/)

Browse all 24,273 Great quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated and misunderstood.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be-mocked-hated-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Great"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be-mocked-hated-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/anonymous-1_great_to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be_211983.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/anonymous-1_great_to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be_211983.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/anonymous-1_great_to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be_211983.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To be great, you have to be willing to be mocked, hated and misunderstood.” — Anonymous",
                "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": "Anonymous",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "To be great, you have to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be-mocked-hated-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-great-you-have-to-be-willing-to-be-mocked-hated-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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
