--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The deepest human defeat suffered by…" description: "\"The deepest human defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has in fact be..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ashley-montagu-9564_defeat_the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-hum_678586.jpg" --- # The deepest human defeat suffered by human beings is… ![“The deepest human defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has in fact become.” quote by Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ashley-montagu-9564_defeat_the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-hum_678586.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ashley-montagu-9564_defeat_the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-hum_678586.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ashley-montagu-9564_defeat_the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-hum_678586.jpg) > “The deepest human defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has in fact become.” [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human defeat is the gap between one's potential and actual achievements, highlighting wasted capability. **In simple terms:** Unrealized potential is a defeat. Key Takeaway Strive to fulfill your potential. Themes potential self-actualization failure Mood motivational reflective Type philosophical advice When to use this quote - career - education - personal growth - life planning Key Concepts psychology human development Questions to Reflect On - What blocks your potential? - How can you bridge the gap? A Different Perspective External circumstances can limit achievement despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defeat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Victory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/victory/) ## Related quotes > [The deepest personal defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-deepest-personal-defeat-suffered-by-human-beings-is-constituted/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [Modern men are afraid of the past. It is a record of human achievement, but its other face is human defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/modern-men-are-afraid-of-the-past-it-is-a-record-of-human-achievement/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [A house is no home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as for the body. For human beings are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-fuller/a-house-is-no-home-unless-it-contains-food-and-fire-for-the-mind-as/) [Margaret Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-fuller/) > [I remember every defeat I suffered as an amateur. They were rare enough to be burned into my brain, and that's why I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-calzaghe/i-remember-every-defeat-i-suffered-as-an-amateur-they-were-rare/) [Joe Calzaghe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-calzaghe/) > [The deepest personal defeat suffered by human being is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santanu-mishra/the-deepest-personal-defeat-suffered-by-human-being-is-constituted-by/) [Santanu Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santanu-mishra/) > [My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I'm luckier than other mortals, and they sure don't come from visualizing victory. They're the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/my-optimism-and-confidence-come-not-from-feeling-i-m-luckier-than/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/the-great-mistake-is-to-anticipate-the-outcome-of-the-engagement-you/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [A hard-fought, well-fought, hairline-close game is as classical in sports as tragedy is in the theater. Victory is contained within defeat, and defeat is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-paterno/a-hard-fought-well-fought-hairline-close-game-is-as-classical-in/) [Joe Paterno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-paterno/) > [Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling, as in all careers of importance, victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats. Yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/og-mandino/obstacles-are-necessary-for-success-because-in-selling-as-in-all/) [Og Mandino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/og-mandino/) > [When the 2008 victory of Barack Obama and the defeat of grumpy old John McCain began looking, um, inevitable, I started fielding inquiries about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perlstein/when-the-2008-victory-of-barack-obama-and-the-defeat-of-grumpy-old/) [Rick Perlstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perlstein/) > [“There’s a victory that looks like defeat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tamerlan-kuzgov/there-s-a-victory-that-looks-like-defeat/) [Tamerlan Kuzgov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tamerlan-kuzgov/) > [The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/the-ultimate-aim-of-karate-lies-not-in-victory-or-defeat-but-in-the/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [“The glow of victory and the harsh chill of defeat are two sides of the same coin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-lenartowicz/the-glow-of-victory-and-the-harsh-chill-of-defeat-are-two-sides-of/) Maria Lenartowicz > [“Defeat is a disease, and victory is the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defeat-is-a-disease-and-victory-is-the-cure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) ## More by Ashley Montagu > [Love is the supreme form of communication. In the hierarchy of needs, love stands as the supreme developing agent of the humanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/love-is-the-supreme-form-of-communication-in-the-hierarchy-of-needs/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [The whole of life is a journey toward youthful old age, toward self-contemplation, love, gaiety, and, in a fundamental sense, the most gratifying time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-whole-of-life-is-a-journey-toward-youthful-old-age-toward-self/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [Human beings are the only creatures who are able to behave irrationally in the name of reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/human-beings-are-the-only-creatures-who-are-able-to-behave/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [Human communication, 'as the saying goes, is a clash of symbols' it covers a multitude of signs. But it is more than media and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/human-communication-as-the-saying-goes-is-a-clash-of-symbols-it/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [There have been some medical schools in which somewhere along the assembly line, a faculty member has informed the students, not so much by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/there-have-been-some-medical-schools-in-which-somewhere-along-the/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [An intelligence that is not humane is the most dangerous thing in the world .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/an-intelligence-that-is-not-humane-is-the-most-dangerous-thing-in-the/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [“It neither kills outright nor inflicts apparent physical harm, yet the extent of its destructive toll is already greater than that of any war,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/it-neither-kills-outright-nor-inflicts-apparent-physical-harm-yet-the/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [It is the mark of the cultured man that he is aware of the fact that equality is an ethical and not a biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/it-is-the-mark-of-the-cultured-man-that-he-is-aware-of-the-fact-that/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [Girls marry for love. Boys marry because of a chronic irritation that causes them to gravitate in the direction of objects with certain curvilinear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/girls-marry-for-love-boys-marry-because-of-a-chronic-irritation-that/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [The indications are that swearing preceded the development of cursing. That is, expletives, maledictions, exclamations, and imprecations of the immediately explosive or vituperative kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-indications-are-that-swearing-preceded-the-development-of-cursing/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [The family is the basis of society. As the family is, so is the society, and it is human beings who make a family-not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-family-is-the-basis-of-society-as-the-family-is-so-is-the-society/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [I want to die young at a ripe old age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/i-want-to-die-young-at-a-ripe-old-age/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [The idea of "race" represents one of the most dangerous myths of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-idea-of-race-represents-one-of-the-most-dangerous-myths-of-our/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [The measure of man's humanity is the extent and intensity of his love for mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-measure-of-man-s-humanity-is-the-extent-and-intensity-of-his-love/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) > [To admit ignorance is to exhibit wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/to-admit-ignorance-is-to-exhibit-wisdom/) [Ashley Montagu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) [Explore all 71 Ashley Montagu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/) ## More Defeat quotes > [A poor self-image is the magnifying glass that can transform a trivial mistake or an imperfection into an overwhelming symbol of personal defeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-d-burns/a-poor-self-image-is-the-magnifying-glass-that-can-transform-a/) [David D. Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-d-burns/) > [Even though you can't expect to defeat the absurdity of the world, you must make that attempt. That's morality, that's religion. That's art. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-ochs/even-though-you-can-t-expect-to-defeat-the-absurdity-of-the-world-you/) [Phil Ochs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-ochs/) > [The devil has been defeated, stop trying to defeat him. What we have left is the fight of faith, and it's a good fight!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-oyakhilome/the-devil-has-been-defeated-stop-trying-to-defeat-him-what-we-have/) [Chris Oyakhilome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-oyakhilome/) > [If Pete’s (Sampras) child is a girl, my son will like her; if he’s a boy, my son will defeat him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-agassi/if-pete-s-sampras-child-is-a-girl-my-son-will-like-her-if-he-s-a-boy/) [Andre Agassi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-agassi/) > [All our efforts to defeat poverty and pursue sustainable development will be in vain if environmental degradation and natural resource depletion continue unabated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/all-our-efforts-to-defeat-poverty-and-pursue-sustainable-development/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [Defeat furnishes good material to the poets and the artists, but none of us care to have the glory of the conquered apply to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-glaspell/defeat-furnishes-good-material-to-the-poets-and-the-artists-but-none/) [Susan Glaspell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-glaspell/) > [“We don't have to defeat any individual but our own self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avijeet-das/we-don-t-have-to-defeat-any-individual-but-our-own-self/) [Avijeet Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avijeet-das/) > [“Defeat is a disease, and victory is the cure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defeat-is-a-disease-and-victory-is-the-cure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The glow of victory and the harsh chill of defeat are two sides of the same coin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-lenartowicz/the-glow-of-victory-and-the-harsh-chill-of-defeat-are-two-sides-of/) Maria Lenartowicz > [After a big defeat, any player feels affected - it is about how long he needs to recover.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerardo-martino/after-a-big-defeat-any-player-feels-affected-it-is-about-how-long-he/) [Gerardo Martino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerardo-martino/) > [I have clearly said we faced terrorist enemies who use Islam to justify slaughtering innocent people and we have to stop them and we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-clearly-said-we-faced-terrorist-enemies-who-use-islam-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gichin-funakoshi/the-ultimate-aim-of-karate-lies-not-in-victory-or-defeat-but-in-the/) [Gichin Funakoshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gichin-funakoshi/) > [It has never been more critical that a leader step forward to accelerate our understanding of cancer - and champion the effort to finally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-j-dzau/it-has-never-been-more-critical-that-a-leader-step-forward-to/) Victor J. Dzau > [“It would seem no matter how progressive we get there are always those few who are backwards in their ways.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solange-nicole/it-would-seem-no-matter-how-progressive-we-get-there-are-always-those/) [Solange nicole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solange-nicole/) [Browse all 2,603 Defeat quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defeat/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The deepest human defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was capable of becoming and what one has in fact become.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ashley Montagu" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-human-beings-is-constituted-by/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defeat" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-human-beings-is-constituted-by/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ashley-montagu-9564_defeat_the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-hum_678586.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ashley-montagu-9564_defeat_the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-hum_678586.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c4/ashley-montagu-9564_defeat_the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-hum_678586.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The deepest human defeat suffered by human beings is constituted by the difference between what one was…” — Ashley Montagu", "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": "Ashley Montagu", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-montagu/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The deepest human defeat suffered by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-human-beings-is-constituted-by/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-montagu/the-deepest-human-defeat-suffered-by-human-beings-is-constituted-by/#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 } } ] } ```