--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No difference of rank, position, or birth…" description: "\"“No difference of rank, position, or birth is so great as the gulf that spearates the countless millions who use their head only in the service of thei..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/arthur-schopenhaur-38338_quote_no-difference-of-rank-position-or-birth_1943882.jpg" --- # No difference of rank, position, or birth is so great as… ![“No difference of rank, position, or birth is so great as the gulf that spearates the countless millions who use their head only in the service of their belly, in other words, look upon it as an instrument of the will, and those very few and rare persons who have the courage to say: No! It is too…” quote by Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/arthur-schopenhaur-38338_quote_no-difference-of-rank-position-or-birth_1943882.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/arthur-schopenhaur-38338_quote_no-difference-of-rank-position-or-birth_1943882.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0dc/arthur-schopenhaur-38338_quote_no-difference-of-rank-position-or-birth_1943882.jpg) > ““No difference of rank, position, or birth is so great as the gulf that spearates the countless millions who use their head only in the service of their belly, in other words, look upon it as an instrument of the will, and those very few and rare persons who have the courage to say: No! It is too good for that; my head shall be active only in its own service; it shall try to comprehend the wondrous and varied spectacle of this world, and then reproduce it in some form, whether as art or as literature, that may answer to my character as an individual. These are the truly noble, the real noblesse of the world. The others are serfs and go with the soil. Of course, I am here referring to those who have not only the courage, but also the call, and therfore the right, to order the head to quit the service of the will; with a result that proves the sacrifice to have been worth the making. In the case of those to whom all this can only partially apply, the gulf is not so wide; but even though their talent be small, so long as it is real, there will always be a sharp line of demarcation between them and the millions.”” [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True nobility lies in using the mind for personal growth and creation, not merely for satisfying basic desires. **In simple terms:** Nobility is thinking for oneself, not just for survival. Key Takeaway Cultivate independent thought and creative expression. Themes philosophy creativity individualism Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - education - artistic pursuits - personal development - career advancement - leadership Key Concepts Will art literature self‑realization Questions to Reflect On - How can you free your mind from everyday demands? - What creative outlet nurtures your true self? A Different Perspective Even the most talented may still be limited by societal constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Rare person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rare-person/) [Sacrifice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacrifice/) ## Related quotes > [Few persons have courage enough to appear as good as they really are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-hare/few-persons-have-courage-enough-to-appear-as-good-as-they-really-are/) [Augustus Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-hare/) > [The purposeful restriction of knowledge has been at the heart of untold misery and hardship in this world. Serfs were kept illiterate so as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niger-innis/the-purposeful-restriction-of-knowledge-has-been-at-the-heart-of/) [Niger Innis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niger-innis/) > [“Everything I have, Is the alms You have bestowed upon me At your feet, my head shall rest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amogh-swamy/everything-i-have-is-the-alms-you-have-bestowed-upon-me-at-your-feet/) [Amogh Swamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amogh-swamy/) > [If you rank me with the lyric poets, my exalted head shall strike the stars. \[Lat., Quod si me lyricis vatibus inseris, Sublimi feriam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/if-you-rank-me-with-the-lyric-poets-my-exalted-head-shall-strike-the/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Only who choose to see shall see, only who choose to head shall hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-julesstar/only-who-choose-to-see-shall-see-only-who-choose-to-head-shall-hear/) [Andrew Julesstar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-julesstar/) > [It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/it-s-a-rare-person-who-wants-to-hear-what-he-doesn-t-want-to-hear/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [“And from the look on his face I could see he was one of the lucky ones, one of those people who like doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wroblewski/and-from-the-look-on-his-face-i-could-see-he-was-one-of-the-lucky/) [David Wroblewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wroblewski/) > [Anybody can get chewed out. It's the rare person who says, oh my god, you were right. As opposed to, no wait, the reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/anybody-can-get-chewed-out-it-s-the-rare-person-who-says-oh-my-god/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [It is a rare person who can pierce the veil between ordinarly life, consumed with matters of physical survival, and pursuit of the empowered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/it-is-a-rare-person-who-can-pierce-the-veil-between-ordinarly-life/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [ “My guess is that you would find that the intellectual elite is the most heavily indoctrinated sector \[of society\], for good reasons. It's their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/my-guess-is-that-you-would-find-that-the-intellectual-elite-is-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“It's a rare person to face who they truly are and not run from it -- not be broken by it. That's what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/it-s-a-rare-person-to-face-who-they-truly-are-and-not-run-from-it-not/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [“Be the kind of friend that you want to have. This is what it all boils down to. Listen when they bitch. Tell them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-williams-brown/be-the-kind-of-friend-that-you-want-to-have-this-is-what-it-all-boils/) [Kelly Williams Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-williams-brown/) > [When I take a role I wonder how I can use it to find out who I really am. I don't think I'm so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cohen/when-i-take-a-role-i-wonder-how-i-can-use-it-to-find-out-who-i-really/) [Scott Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cohen/) > [It's very rare that a person, especially in his twenties and thirties, can do more than one business and do it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-dash/it-s-very-rare-that-a-person-especially-in-his-twenties-and-thirties/) [Damon Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-dash/) > [“My father’s generation, who for the most part did not know Christ, knew at least there was a right and a wrong. They may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-davis/my-father-s-generation-who-for-the-most-part-did-not-know-christ-knew/) [Patrick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-davis/) ## More by Arthur Schopenhaur > [“A poet or philosopher should have no fault to find with his age if it only permits him to do his work undisturbed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/a-poet-or-philosopher-should-have-no-fault-to-find-with-his-age-if-it/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“The ordinary writer has an unmistakable preference for this style, because it causes the reader to spend time and trouble in understanding that which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/the-ordinary-writer-has-an-unmistakable-preference-for-this-style/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“Kant's old hat; the autographs of great men; these things are gaped at with interest and awe by many who have never read their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/kant-s-old-hat-the-autographs-of-great-men-these-things-are-gaped-at/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“There are, in the capacities of mankind, three varieties: one man will understand a thing by himself; another so far as it is explained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/there-are-in-the-capacities-of-mankind-three-varieties-one-man-will/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“The effectiveness of an author turns chiefly upon his getting the reputation that he should be read. But by practicing various arts, by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/the-effectiveness-of-an-author-turns-chiefly-upon-his-getting-the/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“Spanish proverb: honor and money are not to be found in the same purse.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/spanish-proverb-honor-and-money-are-not-to-be-found-in-the-same-purse/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“In the same way it may be said that a man endowed with great mental gifts leads, apart from the individual life common to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/in-the-same-way-it-may-be-said-that-a-man-endowed-with-great-mental/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“His work is as it were, a sacred object and the true fruit of his life, and his aim in storing it away for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/his-work-is-as-it-were-a-sacred-object-and-the-true-fruit-of-his-life/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“Men of great genius, whether their work be in poetry, philosophy or art, stand in all ages like isolated heroes, keeping up single-handed a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/men-of-great-genius-whether-their-work-be-in-poetry-philosophy-or-art/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“In order to have original, uncommon, and perhaps even immortal thoughts, it is enough to estrange oneself so fully from the world of things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/in-order-to-have-original-uncommon-and-perhaps-even-immortal-thoughts/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) > [“Ah! How little they must have had to think about, to have been able to read so much. And when I actually find it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhaur/ah-how-little-they-must-have-had-to-think-about-to-have-been-able-to/) [Arthur Schopenhaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) [Explore all 12 Arthur Schopenhaur quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhaur/) ## More Rare person quotes > [“My father’s generation, who for the most part did not know Christ, knew at least there was a right and a wrong. They may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-davis/my-father-s-generation-who-for-the-most-part-did-not-know-christ-knew/) [Patrick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-davis/) > [It's very rare that a person, especially in his twenties and thirties, can do more than one business and do it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-dash/it-s-very-rare-that-a-person-especially-in-his-twenties-and-thirties/) [Damon Dash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-dash/) > [When I take a role I wonder how I can use it to find out who I really am. I don't think I'm so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-cohen/when-i-take-a-role-i-wonder-how-i-can-use-it-to-find-out-who-i-really/) [Scott Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-cohen/) > [“Be the kind of friend that you want to have. This is what it all boils down to. Listen when they bitch. Tell them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-williams-brown/be-the-kind-of-friend-that-you-want-to-have-this-is-what-it-all-boils/) [Kelly Williams Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-williams-brown/) > [“It's a rare person to face who they truly are and not run from it -- not be broken by it. That's what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/it-s-a-rare-person-to-face-who-they-truly-are-and-not-run-from-it-not/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [ “My guess is that you would find that the intellectual elite is the most heavily indoctrinated sector \[of society\], for good reasons. It's their… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/my-guess-is-that-you-would-find-that-the-intellectual-elite-is-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [It is a rare person who can pierce the veil between ordinarly life, consumed with matters of physical survival, and pursuit of the empowered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-myss/it-is-a-rare-person-who-can-pierce-the-veil-between-ordinarly-life/) [Caroline Myss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-myss/) > [Anybody can get chewed out. It's the rare person who says, oh my god, you were right. As opposed to, no wait, the reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/anybody-can-get-chewed-out-it-s-the-rare-person-who-says-oh-my-god/) [Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/) > [“And from the look on his face I could see he was one of the lucky ones, one of those people who like doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wroblewski/and-from-the-look-on-his-face-i-could-see-he-was-one-of-the-lucky/) [David Wroblewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wroblewski/) > [It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-cavett/it-s-a-rare-person-who-wants-to-hear-what-he-doesn-t-want-to-hear/) [Dick Cavett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-cavett/) > [It's rare to see a person of colour in a lead role. It does matter to a lot of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesha-dixon/it-s-rare-to-see-a-person-of-colour-in-a-lead-role-it-does-matter-to/) [Alesha Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesha-dixon/) > [“It's a rare person to face who they are and not run from it - not be broken by it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/it-s-a-rare-person-to-face-who-they-are-and-not-run-from-it-not-be/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [In the Ngong Forest I have also seen, on a narrow path through thick growth, in the middle of a very hot day, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/in-the-ngong-forest-i-have-also-seen-on-a-narrow-path-through-thick/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) > [What I discovered was is that it's rare to find a person that you feel very intimate with, and you can sleep with lots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/what-i-discovered-was-is-that-it-s-rare-to-find-a-person-that-you/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [The ability to retain a child's view of the world with at the same time a mature understanding of what it means to retain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-ability-to-retain-a-child-s-view-of-the-world-with-at-the-same/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 29 Rare person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rare-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No difference of rank, position, or birth is so great as the gulf that spearates the countless millions who use their head only in the service of their belly, in other words, look upon it as an instrument of the will, and those very few and rare persons who have the courage to say: No! It is too good for that; my head shall be active only in its own service; it shall try to comprehend the wondrous and varied spectacle of this world, and then reproduce it in some form, whether as art or as literature, that may answer to my character as an individual. These are the truly noble, the real noblesse of the world. The others are serfs and go with the soil. Of course, I am here referring to those who have not only the courage, but also the call, and therfore the right, to order the head to quit the service of the will; with a result that proves the sacrifice to have been worth the making. 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