--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man must live like a great brilliant…" description: "\"A man must live like a great brilliant flame and burn as brightly as he can. In the end he burns out. But this is far better than a mean little flame.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/boris-yeltsin-14066_brilliant_a-man-must-live-like-a-great-brilliant-f_1246111.jpg" --- # A man must live like a great brilliant flame and burn as… ![“A man must live like a great brilliant flame and burn as brightly as he can. In the end he burns out. But this is far better than a mean little flame.” quote by Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/boris-yeltsin-14066_brilliant_a-man-must-live-like-a-great-brilliant-f_1246111.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/boris-yeltsin-14066_brilliant_a-man-must-live-like-a-great-brilliant-f_1246111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ef/boris-yeltsin-14066_brilliant_a-man-must-live-like-a-great-brilliant-f_1246111.jpg) > “A man must live like a great brilliant flame and burn as brightly as he can. In the end he burns out. But this is far better than a mean little flame.” [Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Living intensely and fully, even if it leads to a brief, bright existence, is preferable to a dull, prolonged life. **In simple terms:** Burn bright, even if briefly. Key Takeaway Embrace passionate living. Themes purpose passion impermanence legacy intensity Mood reflective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career ambition - artistic creation - personal relationships - risk taking Key Concepts Existential authenticity carpe diem Questions to Reflect On - What does “burning brightly” mean to you? - Can a short, intense life be more fulfilling than a long, quiet one? A Different Perspective Intense living may cause burnout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brilliant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brilliant/) [Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flame/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [Love is a flame to burn out human wills, Love is a flame to set the will on fire, Love is a flame to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-masefield/love-is-a-flame-to-burn-out-human-wills-love-is-a-flame-to-set-the/) [John Masefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-masefield/) > [“It's funny how a flame can only burn your hand if you move too slow, you can tease it all you want and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/it-s-funny-how-a-flame-can-only-burn-your-hand-if-you-move-too-slow/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [It's funny how a flame can only burn your hand if you move too slow, you can tease it all you want and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-shusterman/it-s-funny-how-a-flame-can-only-burn-your-hand-if-you-move-too-slow-2/) [Neal Shusterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-shusterman/) > [“The good ones put your character to the flame and burn away all the rest of the shit until you come out a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-watt/the-good-ones-put-your-character-to-the-flame-and-burn-away-all-the/) [Erin Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-watt/) > [“Had she allowed the flame to burn so low it was now in danger of complete extinction?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-russell/had-she-allowed-the-flame-to-burn-so-low-it-was-now-in-danger-of/) [Paul Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-russell/) > [True love is like a bright flame because even though it may burn bright, it will also leave a bigger scar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-is-like-a-bright-flame-because-even-though-it-may-burn/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We have to burn brightly. We can’t burn forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-have-to-burn-brightly-we-can-t-burn-forever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It’s better, Benji, to have something burn brightly for a short time than to never have it at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-j-klune/it-s-better-benji-to-have-something-burn-brightly-for-a-short-time/) [T.J. Klune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-j-klune/) > [Even as I burn, So brightly, I still, As we all do, Struggle along, In the Dark, That presses in, From all around me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/even-as-i-burn-so-brightly-i-still-as-we-all-do-struggle-along-in-the/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [“You burn so brightly,” he said, his voice low and rough to raise the hair on my arms. “I would like to burn with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karina-halle/you-burn-so-brightly-he-said-his-voice-low-and-rough-to-raise-the/) [Karina Halle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karina-halle/) > [And in his heart, I think, he's now learned what I came to believe, which is, as I've said all along, that the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-his-heart-i-think-he-s-now-learned-what-i-came-to-believe/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [It's better to burn brightly for half as long than to be a dim lingering light,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-gift/it-s-better-to-burn-brightly-for-half-as-long-than-to-be-a-dim/) [Roland Gift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-gift/) > [The entertainment industry and my place in it is a place where you burn brightly for as long as you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robbie-williams/the-entertainment-industry-and-my-place-in-it-is-a-place-where-you/) [Robbie Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robbie-williams/) > [The poetic sensibility was too good for this world, it was best to burn brightly and to die young like a shooting star.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-howe-colt/the-poetic-sensibility-was-too-good-for-this-world-it-was-best-to/) George Howe Colt > [“And in his heart, I think, he’s now learned what I’ve come to believe, which is, as I’ve said all along, that the sun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-his-heart-i-think-he-s-now-learned-what-i-ve-come-to-believe/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) ## More by Boris Yeltsin > [We Russians are already living, not getting ready to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-yeltsin/we-russians-are-already-living-not-getting-ready-to-live/) [Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/) > [A sense of proportion and humanitarian action are not issues for terrorists. Their aim is that of killing and destroying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-yeltsin/a-sense-of-proportion-and-humanitarian-action-are-not-issues-for/) [Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/) > [I understand that it's hard for everyone, but one cannot give in to emotions... we'll have to draw lessons from the current crisis and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-yeltsin/i-understand-that-it-s-hard-for-everyone-but-one-cannot-give-in-to/) [Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/) > [The main problem with being president is the constant sense that you are inside a glass bowl for everyone to see, or in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-yeltsin/the-main-problem-with-being-president-is-the-constant-sense-that-you/) [Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/) > [I would like to stress here that a lasting peace in the Chechen republic and so-called peace talks with the bandits are not the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-yeltsin/i-would-like-to-stress-here-that-a-lasting-peace-in-the-chechen/) [Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/) > [Your commanders have ordered you to storm the White House and to arrest me. 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