--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be a great man and a saint for…" description: "\"To be a great man and a saint for oneself, that is the only important thing.\" — Charles Baudelaire" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/charles-baudelaire-473_great_to-be-a-great-man-and-a-saint-for-onesel_823707.jpg" --- # To be a great man and a saint for oneself, that is the… ![“To be a great man and a saint for oneself, that is the only important thing.” quote by Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/charles-baudelaire-473_great_to-be-a-great-man-and-a-saint-for-onesel_823707.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/charles-baudelaire-473_great_to-be-a-great-man-and-a-saint-for-onesel_823707.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/544/charles-baudelaire-473_great_to-be-a-great-man-and-a-saint-for-onesel_823707.jpg) > “To be a great man and a saint for oneself, that is the only important thing.” [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True greatness lies in self‑discipline and personal virtue, not external validation. **In simple terms:** Being a great person means being virtuous for yourself. Key Takeaway Focus on inner moral development. Themes self‑improvement virtue individualism Mood inspirational thoughtful Type philosophical self‑help When to use this quote - career ambition - personal growth - spiritual practice - leadership Key Concepts existentialism ethical self‑development Questions to Reflect On - What does being a saint for yourself look like? - How can you measure personal virtue? A Different Perspective External accolades can distract from genuine self‑growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) ## Related quotes > [To be a great man and a saint to oneself, that's the only important thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/to-be-a-great-man-and-a-saint-to-oneself-that-s-the-only-important/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [Friendship with oneself is all important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/friendship-with-oneself-is-all-important/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Friendship with oneself is all important because without it one cannot be friends with anybody else in the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/friendship-with-oneself-is-all-important-because-without-it-one-2/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [Belief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/belief-in-oneself-is-one-of-the-most-important-bricks-in-building-any/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To resist the influence of others, knowledge of oneself is most important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-resist-the-influence-of-others-knowledge-of-oneself-is-most/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Friendship with oneself is all important because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/friendship-with-oneself-is-all-important-because-without-it-one/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Make this man a saint now, OK?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/make-this-man-a-saint-now-ok/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [“I understood this man was a Saint," he said. "Something even rarer," said Dr. Urbino, "An atheistic saint. But those are matters for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/i-understood-this-man-was-a-saint-he-said-something-even-rarer-said/) [Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [“The transition from the good man to the saint is a sort of revolution; by which one for whom all things illustrate and illuminate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/the-transition-from-the-good-man-to-the-saint-is-a-sort-of-revolution/) [G.K. 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