---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Good men don't become legends."
description: "\"“Good men don't become legends.”\" — Brandon Sanderson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/brandon-sanderson-112_quote_good-men-don-t-become-legends-1220355_1220355.jpg"
---

#  Good men don't become legends.

![“Good men don't become legends.” quote by Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/brandon-sanderson-112_quote_good-men-don-t-become-legends-1220355_1220355.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/brandon-sanderson-112_quote_good-men-don-t-become-legends-1220355_1220355.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/brandon-sanderson-112_quote_good-men-don-t-become-legends-1220355_1220355.jpg)

> ““Good men don't become legends.””

[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.

Great deeds are often forgotten; ordinary people rarely achieve lasting fame.

**In simple terms:** Ordinary people rarely become legends.

Key Takeaway

Focus on meaningful actions, not fame.

Themes

humility legacy recognition

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- daily life
- career
- community service

Key Concepts

heroism ephemerality

Questions to Reflect On

- Do you seek fame or purpose?
- How do you define a lasting impact?

A Different Perspective

Even small impacts can be meaningful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Don Legends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/don-legends-3734650/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-men/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Legends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legends/)

## Related quotes

> [Good men don't become legends," he said quietly. "Good men don't need to become legends." She opened her eyes, looking up at him. "They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-don-t-become-legends-he-said-quietly-good-men-don-t-need-to/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“Good men will kill as quickly for what they want as evil men- only the things they want are different.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-will-kill-as-quickly-for-what-they-want-as-evil-men-only-the/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“Good men can make terrible kings,' Tindwyl noted. 'But bad men cannot make good kings.' Sazed said. 'It is better to start with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-can-make-terrible-kings-tindwyl-noted-but-bad-men-cannot/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [Here, in Alethkar, men often spoke of the legends -- of mankind's hard-won victory over the Voidbringers. But when weapons created to fight nightmares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/here-in-alethkar-men-often-spoke-of-the-legends-of-mankind-s-hard-won/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“Legends say that one of your ancestors —one of only two others to have this Talent—broke time and space together, forming a little bubble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/legends-say-that-one-of-your-ancestors-one-of-only-two-others-to-have/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [It is infinitely better to have a few good men than many indifferent ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-infinitely-better-to-have-a-few-good-men-than-many-indifferent/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [“One doesn’t have the opportunity very often. Not that there are not many men who are good, but there are few men who, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/one-doesn-t-have-the-opportunity-very-often-not-that-there-are-not/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> [“..the world seems full of good men--even if there are monsters in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bram-stoker/the-world-seems-full-of-good-men-even-if-there-are-monsters-in-it/)

[Bram Stoker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bram-stoker/)

> [Men rarely see their own actions as unjustified.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/men-rarely-see-their-own-actions-as-unjustified/)

[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/)

> [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/)

[King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/)

> [Heaven prepares good men with crosses; but no ill can happen to a good man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-jonson/heaven-prepares-good-men-with-crosses-but-no-ill-can-happen-to-a-good/)

[Ben Jonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-jonson/)

> [Greetings, O Great Gazoo. How nice of you to join us here on planet Earth again. (Cael) Thanks, Barney. How’s Betty and Bam Bam…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/greetings-o-great-gazoo-how-nice-of-you-to-join-us-here-on-planet/)

[Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/)

> [“There are many of them in the world, I think, good men and women with their frail deeds. Wondering what might have been, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ally-condie/there-are-many-of-them-in-the-world-i-think-good-men-and-women-with/)

[Ally Condie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ally-condie/)

> [Biographies of great, but especially of good men are most instructive and useful as helps, guides, and incentives to others. Some of the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-smiles/biographies-of-great-but-especially-of-good-men-are-most-instructive/)

[Samuel Smiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-smiles/)

## More by Brandon Sanderson

> [“I’ll admit, Jasnah, that I empathize with your skepticism, but I don’t agree with it. I just think you've been looking for God in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-ll-admit-jasnah-that-i-empathize-with-your-skepticism-but-i-don-t/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [They say a man doesn't know himself until he faces death for the first time. . . I don't know about that. It seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/they-say-a-man-doesn-t-know-himself-until-he-faces-death-for-the/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“I wasn’t a nerd, mind you, but I’d spent a lot of my youth studying Epics, so I’d had limited experience with social interaction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/i-wasn-t-a-nerd-mind-you-but-i-d-spent-a-lot-of-my-youth-studying/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“Why, Elend! 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. The measure of a person is not how much they have lived. .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/you-are-inexperienced-so-was-i-once-so-is-every-man-the-measure-of-a/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [“So I should not hate Adolin Kholin for wielding a corpse!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/so-i-should-not-hate-adolin-kholin-for-wielding-a-corpse/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

[Explore all 1,238 Brandon Sanderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

## More Good quotes

> [When I came to Chelsea, it was clear that, like many other players, I would first be loaned out. So I went to Belgium…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorgan-hazard/when-i-came-to-chelsea-it-was-clear-that-like-many-other-players-i/)

[Thorgan Hazard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorgan-hazard/)

> [Today I didn't even have to even use my A.K ! I got to say it was a good day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/today-i-didn-t-even-have-to-even-use-my-a-k-i-got-to-say-it-was-a/)

[Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/)

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [If you want to edit your photos and make yourself look different, go for it. That is up to you, but in my opinion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-list/if-you-want-to-edit-your-photos-and-make-yourself-look-different-go/)

[Peyton List](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-list/)

> [I met Rajini sir after 'Jigarthanda,' and he said he liked my film. He told me I could approach him whenever I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karthik-subbaraj/i-met-rajini-sir-after-jigarthanda-and-he-said-he-liked-my-film-he/)

[Karthik Subbaraj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karthik-subbaraj/)

> [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/)

[Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/)

> [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. It's like everyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tricky/sometimes-i-m-in-a-bad-mood-sometimes-i-m-in-a-good-mood-it-s-like/)

[Tricky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tricky/)

> [Eric Clapton's scales - when he comes off a high note and it's time for a refrain or a little bit of a rest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rea/eric-clapton-s-scales-when-he-comes-off-a-high-note-and-it-s-time-for/)

[Chris Rea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rea/)

> [I studied all kinds of dance, all types of music. I got good grades. I started hitting the recording studio around 13.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-derulo/i-studied-all-kinds-of-dance-all-types-of-music-i-got-good-grades-i/)

[Jason Derulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-derulo/)

> [Everybody has their cliques, and I was very shy. I'm still very shy. Music opened up doors. I would get to my choir class,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-fonsi/everybody-has-their-cliques-and-i-was-very-shy-i-m-still-very-shy/)

[Luis Fonsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-fonsi/)

> [My only close-to-game-plan is to follow good writing. If the writing is in TV or if it's in theater or in film, that's it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/my-only-close-to-game-plan-is-to-follow-good-writing-if-the-writing/)

[Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/)

> [The Derby experience had not been good for me and the way it finished left a very bad taste in my mouth so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nigel-pearson/the-derby-experience-had-not-been-good-for-me-and-the-way-it-finished/)

[Nigel Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nigel-pearson/)

> [I think I am against stereotype. Generally, Asian guys are more quiet - they study and have a good work ethic. Generally, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-lee/i-think-i-am-against-stereotype-generally-asian-guys-are-more-quiet/)

[Bobby Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-lee/)

> [I ask for tips, for advice. What I have also learnt is that I need to do things that are good for me. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthijs-de-ligt/i-ask-for-tips-for-advice-what-i-have-also-learnt-is-that-i-need-to/)

[Matthijs de Ligt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthijs-de-ligt/)

> [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/)

[Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/)

[Browse all 40,882 Good quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Good men don't become legends.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Brandon Sanderson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-don-t-become-legends/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Good"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-don-t-become-legends/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/brandon-sanderson-112_quote_good-men-don-t-become-legends-1220355_1220355.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/brandon-sanderson-112_quote_good-men-don-t-become-legends-1220355_1220355.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/brandon-sanderson-112_quote_good-men-don-t-become-legends-1220355_1220355.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Good men don't become legends.” — 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": "“Good men don't become legends.”",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-don-t-become-legends/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/good-men-don-t-become-legends/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
