--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Don't dream the small dreams of other men." description: "\"“Don't dream the small dreams of other men.”\" — Brandon Sanderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8b/brandon-sanderson-112_dreams_don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-me_1238821.jpg" --- # Don't dream the small dreams of other men. ![“Don't dream the small dreams of other men.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8b/brandon-sanderson-112_dreams_don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-me_1238821.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8b/brandon-sanderson-112_dreams_don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-me_1238821.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8b/brandon-sanderson-112_dreams_don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-me_1238821.jpg) > ““Don't dream the small dreams of other men.”” [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Do not imitate others' modest dreams; aim for your own grand aspirations. **In simple terms:** Avoid copying small dreams; pursue your own big ones. Key Takeaway Dream big, not small. Themes ambition individuality creativity Mood inspirational determined Type literary advice When to use this quote - career planning - creative projects - goal setting - self‑development Key Concepts literature personal growth Questions to Reflect On - What big dream drives you? - How can you avoid small‑dream imitation? A Different Perspective May ignore practical steps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Small dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-dreams/) ## Related quotes > [I don't dream small. But then, what are we without our dreams?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shenaz-treasury/i-don-t-dream-small-but-then-what-are-we-without-our-dreams/) [Shenaz Treasury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shenaz-treasury/) > [“Dream no small dreams. They have no power to stir the hearts of men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/dream-no-small-dreams-they-have-no-power-to-stir-the-hearts-of-men/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/dream-no-small-dreams-for-they-have-no-power-to-move-the-hearts-of-men/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [People who dream small dreams continue to live as small people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/people-who-dream-small-dreams-continue-to-live-as-small-people/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [Dream small dreams. If you make them too big, you get overwhelmed and you don't do anything. 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Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-johnson/) > [America is to great to dream small dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/america-is-to-great-to-dream-small-dreams/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [“It's better to dare to dream big and achieve half of your dreams than to dream small dreams and achieve all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/it-s-better-to-dare-to-dream-big-and-achieve-half-of-your-dreams-than/) [Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/) > [Dream the dreams of other men, you'll be no ones rival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-vedder/dream-the-dreams-of-other-men-you-ll-be-no-ones-rival/) [Eddie Vedder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-vedder/) > [But only in their dreams can men be truly free. It was always thus and always thus will be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/but-only-in-their-dreams-can-men-be-truly-free-it-was-always-thus-and/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [The Golden Age is the most implausible of all dreams. But for it men have given up their life and strength; for the sake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/the-golden-age-is-the-most-implausible-of-all-dreams-but-for-it-men/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [“The men were thorough sportsmen, loving horse-racing, foot-racing, and gambling. They were graceful winners, and good losers in games of chance. And they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bird-linderman/the-men-were-thorough-sportsmen-loving-horse-racing-foot-racing-and/) [Frank Bird Linderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bird-linderman/) > [“But only in their dreams can men be truly free. 'Twas always, and always thus will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-only-in-their-dreams-can-men-be-truly-free-twas-always-and-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealth, the germs of empires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-dreams-of-men-the-seed-of-commonwealth-the-germs-of-empires/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [It is said that men may not be the dreams of the god, but rather that the gods are the dreams of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-said-that-men-may-not-be-the-dreams-of-the-god-but-rather-that/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [All those large dreams by which men long live well Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-empson/all-those-large-dreams-by-which-men-long-live-well-are-magic/) [William Empson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-empson/) ## More by Brandon Sanderson > [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. 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That’s almost romantic—in a twisted ‘I’m going to make my wife want to kill me’ sort of way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/why-elend-that-s-almost-romantic-in-a-twisted-i-m-going-to-make-my/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“And...how much are we getting paid for achieving the impossible?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/and-how-much-are-we-getting-paid-for-achieving-the-impossible/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elantris was the one place where she could remember feeling unconditional acceptance. She had not been a princess, she had been something far better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elantris-was-the-one-place-where-she-could-remember-feeling/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“Elend smiled. "Oh, come on. You have to admit that you're unusual, Vin. You're like some strange mixture of a noblewoman, a street urchin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/elend-smiled-oh-come-on-you-have-to-admit-that-you-re-unusual-vin-you/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“That is always how it is, though, isn't it?” Shuden asked. “Those who can least afford extravagance seem to be the ones most determined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/that-is-always-how-it-is-though-isn-t-it-shuden-asked-those-who-can/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“He says he’s letting the Stormfather judge you,” Moash added. “Jezerezeh, king of Heralds. He says that if you deserve to live, you will….”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/he-says-he-s-letting-the-stormfather-judge-you-moash-added-jezerezeh/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“The stories say the Nightwatcher might be capable of that. . . . Powerful spren. Vast spren.’ ‘Is he calling me vast?’ Syl said,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/the-stories-say-the-nightwatcher-might-be-capable-of-that-powerful/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“My life to yours. My breath beecome yours.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/my-life-to-yours-my-breath-beecome-yours/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [“If you're always on time, it implies that you never have anything better you should be doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-you-re-always-on-time-it-implies-that-you-never-have-anything/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [You are inexperienced. So was I, once. So is every man. 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Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-johnson/) > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [“Not that it matters, when you dream, there's no outside or in. Your mind is an unimaginable bloom. A willow catkin as big as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-shapero/not-that-it-matters-when-you-dream-there-s-no-outside-or-in-your-mind/) [Rich Shapero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-shapero/) > [Academically, I was never that interested. I skipped classes. My biggest dream was to have a coffee shop, but I had no idea how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-espinosa/academically-i-was-never-that-interested-i-skipped-classes-my-biggest/) [Daniel Espinosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-espinosa/) > [“As dreams are the healing songs from the wilderness of our unconscious - So wild animals, wild plants, wild landscapes are the healing dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-pendell/as-dreams-are-the-healing-songs-from-the-wilderness-of-our/) [Dale Pendell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-pendell/) > [Alone in a world, With millions of souls Walking in circles Trapped in their dreams unhealthy, unclean walking in circles, now do not disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-bennington/alone-in-a-world-with-millions-of-souls-walking-in-circles-trapped-in/) [Chester Bennington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-bennington/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [I guess, it's a father's dream for his daughter to be known around the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liza-soberano/i-guess-it-s-a-father-s-dream-for-his-daughter-to-be-known-around-the/) [Liza Soberano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liza-soberano/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/sometimes-life-seems-like-a-dream-especially-when-i-look-down-and-see/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) > [“I had a dream. I had an awesome dream.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-had-a-dream-i-had-an-awesome-dream/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Browse all 26,527 Dream quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Don't dream the small dreams of other men.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Brandon Sanderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-men/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dream" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-men/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8b/brandon-sanderson-112_dreams_don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-me_1238821.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8b/brandon-sanderson-112_dreams_don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-me_1238821.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a8b/brandon-sanderson-112_dreams_don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-me_1238821.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Don't dream the small dreams of other men.” — Brandon Sanderson", "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": "Brandon Sanderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Don't dream the small dreams of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-men/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/don-t-dream-the-small-dreams-of-other-men/#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 } } ] } ```