--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great minds are related to the brief span…" description: "\"Great minds are related to the brief span of time during which they live as great buildings are to a little square in which they stand: you cannot see ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_great-minds_great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-spa_2636434.jpg" --- # Great minds are related to the brief span of time during… ![“Great minds are related to the brief span of time during which they live as great buildings are to a little square in which they stand: you cannot see them in all their magnitude because you are standing too close to them.” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_great-minds_great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-spa_2636434.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_great-minds_great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-spa_2636434.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_great-minds_great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-spa_2636434.jpg) > “Great minds are related to the brief span of time during which they live as great buildings are to a little square in which they stand: you cannot see them in all their magnitude because you are standing too close to them.” [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great minds are hard to grasp fully because we view them too closely, like a building from up close. **In simple terms:** Greatness is hard to see up close. Key Takeaway Step back to appreciate fully. Themes perception humility scale philosophy Mood analytical contemplative Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - education - leadership - art criticism Key Concepts cognitive bias epistemology historical context Questions to Reflect On - How does distance affect understanding? - What methods broaden perspective? A Different Perspective Proximity can also reveal details. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-minds/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We expect too much of new # buildings , and too little of ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-jacobs/we-expect-too-much-of-new-buildings-and-too-little-of-ourselves/) [Jane Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-jacobs/) > [It is not possible to make great buildings, or great towns, beautiful places, places where you feel yourself, places where you feel alive, except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-alexander/it-is-not-possible-to-make-great-buildings-or-great-towns-beautiful/) [Christopher Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-alexander/) > [Great buildings, like great mountains, are the work of centuries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/great-buildings-like-great-mountains-are-the-work-of-centuries/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Great buildings that move the spirit have always been rare. In every case they are unique, poetic, products of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-erickson/great-buildings-that-move-the-spirit-have-always-been-rare-in-every/) [Arthur Erickson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-erickson/) > [There are many great minds on earth and not all are human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-many-great-minds-on-earth-and-not-all-are-human/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Great minds don't think alike they think alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamika-leeigh/great-minds-don-t-think-alike-they-think-alone/) [Tamika-leeigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamika-leeigh/) > [Great minds think alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/great-minds-think-alike/) [Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/) > [“Great minds like a think -The Economist-”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-gompers/great-minds-like-a-think-the-economist/) [Samuel Gompers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-gompers/) > [Great minds contain ideas, science,numbers and reasons; but as great as my mind is,it contains only you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/great-minds-contain-ideas-science-numbers-and-reasons-but-as-great-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Great minds can accomplish great things in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micaella-forbes/great-minds-can-accomplish-great-things-in-life/) Micaella Forbes > [Little minds try to solve the matters through violence and darkness; great minds try to solve the matters through love and light!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/little-minds-try-to-solve-the-matters-through-violence-and-darkness/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great minds are quite conscious of them and despise them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little-things-great-minds-are-quite/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Great minds talk about ideas; small minds talk about people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/great-minds-talk-about-ideas-small-minds-talk-about-people/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Could the one whom Christians worship be merely a mythological creation, or is he real? These questions have exercised many great minds and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clayton/could-the-one-whom-christians-worship-be-merely-a-mythological/) [John Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-clayton/) > [My sense is that we're ready for another industrial revolution in this country. 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The cause of it is that men fight shy of all and any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/imitation-and-custom-are-the-spring-of-almost-all-human-action-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [ \[T\]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between-man-and-man-ought-to-be-not/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [The eternal being..., as it lives in us, also lives in every animal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/the-eternal-being-as-it-lives-in-us-also-lives-in-every-animal/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [there are very few who can think, but every man wants to have an opinion; and what remains but to take it ready-made from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/there-are-very-few-who-can-think-but-every-man-wants-to-have-an/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [It is not what things are objectively and in themselves, but what they are for us, in our way of looking at them, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/it-is-not-what-things-are-objectively-and-in-themselves-but-what-they/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [ “\[Materialism\] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-simple-state-of-matter-and/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [In order to increase his pleasures, man has intentionally added to the number and pressure of his needs, which in their original state were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-order-to-increase-his-pleasures-man-has-intentionally-added-to-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“For the will, as that which is common to all, is for that reason also common: consequently, every vehement emergence of will is common,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/for-the-will-as-that-which-is-common-to-all-is-for-that-reason-also/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“Alles Urdenken geschieht in Bildern: darum ist die Phantasie ein so nothwendiges Werkzeug desselben, und werden phantasielose Köpfe nie etwas Großes leisten, - es…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/alles-urdenken-geschieht-in-bildern-darum-ist-die-phantasie-ein-so/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Intellect is invisible to the man who has none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/intellect-is-invisible-to-the-man-who-has-none/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Newspapers are the second hand of history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/newspapers-are-the-second-hand-of-history/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“In travelling where novelties of all kinds press in upon us, mental food is often supplied so rapidly from without that there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-travelling-where-novelties-of-all-kinds-press-in-upon-us-mental/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) [Explore all 791 Arthur Schopenhauer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) ## More Great minds quotes > [The power of duly appreciating little things belongs to a great mind...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/the-power-of-duly-appreciating-little-things-belongs-to-a-great-mind/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [It is thus hardly surprising that so many of the great minds in recent history have concerned themselves with economic matters. Indeed, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-zane-pilzer/it-is-thus-hardly-surprising-that-so-many-of-the-great-minds-in/) [Paul Zane Pilzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-zane-pilzer/) > [College is such a unique time because you're learning a little bit how to be an adult. You're learning how to take care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/college-is-such-a-unique-time-because-you-re-learning-a-little-bit/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [Great minds think alike because a greater Mind is thinking through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/great-minds-think-alike-because-a-greater-mind-is-thinking-through/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Remember that poise and power are inseparably associated. The calm and balanced mind is the strong and great mind; the hurried and agitated mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/remember-that-poise-and-power-are-inseparably-associated-the-calm-and/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [My sense is that we're ready for another industrial revolution in this country. The great minds and innovators of Silicon Valley would come through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/my-sense-is-that-we-re-ready-for-another-industrial-revolution-in/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [Great minds are always feared by lesser minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/great-minds-are-always-feared-by-lesser-minds/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [The sciences of today are business enterprises run on business principles. Research in large institutes is not guided by Truth and Reason but by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/the-sciences-of-today-are-business-enterprises-run-on-business/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [If Uber wants to catch up to Google and be the leader in autonomy, we have to have the best minds. We have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/if-uber-wants-to-catch-up-to-google-and-be-the-leader-in-autonomy-we/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [When you put two great minds, great things can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-parsons/when-you-put-two-great-minds-great-things-can-happen/) [Micah Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-parsons/) > [A great mind will neither give an affront nor bear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-home-lord-kames/a-great-mind-will-neither-give-an-affront-nor-bear-it/) [Henry Home, Lord Kames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-home-lord-kames/) > [Managing your problems can only make you good, whereas building your opportunities is the only way to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/managing-your-problems-can-only-make-you-good-whereas-building-your/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Could the one whom Christians worship be merely a mythological creation, or is he real? These questions have exercised many great minds and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clayton/could-the-one-whom-christians-worship-be-merely-a-mythological/) [John Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-clayton/) > [“Great minds talk about ideas; small minds talk about people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/great-minds-talk-about-ideas-small-minds-talk-about-people/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“Great bodies die but great minds don't die! Inside the tomb of great men lay dead body's but at the library of great men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/great-bodies-die-but-great-minds-don-t-die-inside-the-tomb-of-great/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) [Browse all 180 Great minds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-minds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Great minds are related to the brief span of time during which they live as great buildings are to a little square in which they stand: you cannot see them in all their magnitude because you are standing too close to them.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Arthur Schopenhauer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-span-of-time-during-which-they/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great minds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-span-of-time-during-which-they/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_great-minds_great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-spa_2636434.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_great-minds_great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-spa_2636434.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_great-minds_great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-spa_2636434.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Great minds are related to the brief span of time during which they live as great buildings are to a little…” — Arthur Schopenhauer", "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": "Arthur Schopenhauer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Great minds are related to the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-span-of-time-during-which-they/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/great-minds-are-related-to-the-brief-span-of-time-during-which-they/#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 } } ] } ```