--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With respect to the authority of great…" description: "\"With respect to the authority of great names, it should be remembered that he alone deserves to have any weight and influence with posterity, who has s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/charles-caleb-colton-270_authority_with-respect-to-the-authority-of-great-n_2242448.jpg" --- # With respect to the authority of great names, it should be… ![“With respect to the authority of great names, it should be remembered that he alone deserves to have any weight and influence with posterity, who has shown himself superior to the particular and predominant error of his own times; who, like the peak of Teneriffe, has hailed the intellectual sun…” quote by Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/charles-caleb-colton-270_authority_with-respect-to-the-authority-of-great-n_2242448.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/charles-caleb-colton-270_authority_with-respect-to-the-authority-of-great-n_2242448.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ad/charles-caleb-colton-270_authority_with-respect-to-the-authority-of-great-n_2242448.jpg) > “With respect to the authority of great names, it should be remembered that he alone deserves to have any weight and influence with posterity, who has shown himself superior to the particular and predominant error of his own times; who, like the peak of Teneriffe, has hailed the intellectual sun before its beams have reached the horizon of common minds.” [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Only those who surpass their era's errors earn lasting influence. **In simple terms:** True greatness transcends contemporary flaws. Key Takeaway Seek timeless insight. Themes legacy intellectual merit history Mood contemplative serious Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - education - leadership - public discourse Key Concepts philosophy cultural criticism Questions to Reflect On - Who exemplifies this timeless authority? - How to distinguish true merit from hype? A Different Perspective Great names can be misinterpreted or mythologized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horizon/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/) ## Related quotes > [Washington was a typical American. Napoleon was a typical Frenchman, but Lincoln was a humanitarian as broad as the world. 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