--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the prerogative of great men only…" description: "\"It is the prerogative of great men only to have great defects.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_defects_it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only_1296473.png" --- # It is the prerogative of great men only to have great… ![“It is the prerogative of great men only to have great defects.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_defects_it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only_1296473.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_defects_it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only_1296473.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_defects_it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only_1296473.png) > “It is the prerogative of great men only to have great defects.” [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great people are often defined by their flaws, suggesting that excellence and imperfection coexist. **In simple terms:** Great men have great flaws. Key Takeaway Accept imperfections as part of greatness. Themes human nature leadership philosophy imperfection Mood thoughtful analytical Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - leadership evaluation - personal development - team dynamics - historical analysis Key Concepts moral paradox self-awareness ethical reflection Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance recognizing flaws with appreciating strengths? - Can flaws be leveraged for growth? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on defects can overlook achievements and contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) [Great Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-defects-3366849/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-great/) [Prerogative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prerogative/) [Prerogative Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prerogative-great-4241610/) ## Related quotes > [Only the great can afford to have great defects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/only-the-great-can-afford-to-have-great-defects/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [One of the great defects of English books printed in the last century is the want of an index.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lafcadio-hearn/one-of-the-great-defects-of-english-books-printed-in-the-last-century/) [Lafcadio Hearn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lafcadio-hearn/) > [Great crises produce great men, and great deeds of courage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kennedy/great-crises-produce-great-men-and-great-deeds-of-courage/) [John F. Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kennedy/) > [It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/it-does-not-take-great-men-to-do-great-things-it-only-takes/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) > [Great men, great nations, have not been boasters and buffoons, but perceivers of the terror of life, and have manned themselves to face it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/great-men-great-nations-have-not-been-boasters-and-buffoons-but/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [“Some men are great, and some men have greatness thrust upon them. Isn't that so Jim?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-from-under-the-dome/some-men-are-great-and-some-men-have-greatness-thrust-upon-them-isn-t/) [Julia from Under the Dome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-from-under-the-dome/) > [“The great men. The great men are those who embody the marriage between heaven and hell, hard and soft, strength and vulnerability, Who do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vd/the-great-men-the-great-men-are-those-who-embody-the-marriage-between/) [VD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vd/) > [Great men should not have great faults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/great-men-should-not-have-great-faults/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Only great men have great faults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/only-great-men-have-great-faults/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A great man la an abstraction of some one excellence; but whoever fancies himself an abstraction of excellence, so far from being great, may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/a-great-man-la-an-abstraction-of-some-one-excellence-but-whoever/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Without humility, we keep all our defects; and they are only crusted over by pride, which conceals them from others, and often from ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/without-humility-we-keep-all-our-defects-and-they-are-only-crusted/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We often make use of envenomed praise, that reveals on the rebound, as it were, defects in those praised which we dare not exposeany…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-often-make-use-of-envenomed-praise-that-reveals-on-the-rebound-as/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [None but great men are capable of having great flaws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/none-but-great-men-are-capable-of-having-great-flaws/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [There are certain defects which, well-mounted, glitter like virtue itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/there-are-certain-defects-which-well-mounted-glitter-like-virtue/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A weak mind is the only defect out of our power to mend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-weak-mind-is-the-only-defect-out-of-our-power-to-mend/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More by Francois de La Rochefoucauld > [Our own distrust gives a fair pretence for the knavery of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-own-distrust-gives-a-fair-pretence-for-the-knavery-of-other-people/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Behind many acts that are thought ridiculous there lie wise and weighty motives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/behind-many-acts-that-are-thought-ridiculous-there-lie-wise-and/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Perseverance is neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy; for it seems to be only the enduring of certain inclinations and opinions which men neither give themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/perseverance-is-neither-praiseworthy-nor-blameworthy-for-it-seems-to/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A woman is faithful to her first lover for a long time - unless she happens to take a second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/a-woman-is-faithful-to-her-first-lover-for-a-long-time-unless-she/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The love of new acquaintance comes not so much from being weary of what we had before, or from any satisfaction there is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-love-of-new-acquaintance-comes-not-so-much-from-being-weary-of/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The intention of never deceiving often exposes us to deception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-intention-of-never-deceiving-often-exposes-us-to-deception/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy springs more from love of self than from love of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-springs-more-from-love-of-self-than-from-love-of-another/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Our distrust of another justifies his deceit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/our-distrust-of-another-justifies-his-deceit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [No persons are more frequently wrong, than those who will not admit they are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/no-persons-are-more-frequently-wrong-than-those-who-will-not-admit/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Jealousy is always born with love, but does not die with it. In jealousy there is more of self-love than of love to another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/jealousy-is-always-born-with-love-but-does-not-die-with-it-in/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The greatest of all gifts is the power to estimate things at their true worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-greatest-of-all-gifts-is-the-power-to-estimate-things-at-their/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We have not strength enough to follow our reason so far as it would carry us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-have-not-strength-enough-to-follow-our-reason-so-far-as-it-would/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 1,134 Francois de La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Defects quotes > [It is the common defect of modern art study. Too many students do not know why they draw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-henri/it-is-the-common-defect-of-modern-art-study-too-many-students-do-not/) [Robert Henri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-henri/) > [Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/selfishness-is-one-of-the-principal-fruits-of-the-corruption-of-human/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [With all of its defects, the global market makes war less likely, even between the USA and China.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/with-all-of-its-defects-the-global-market-makes-war-less-likely-even/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [There are few defects in our nature so glaring as not to be veiled from observation by politeness and good-breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/there-are-few-defects-in-our-nature-so-glaring-as-not-to-be-veiled/) [Stanisław I Leszczyński](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanis-aw-i-leszczy-ski/) > [I don't want you to praise me...Some praise me because I am a colored girl, and I don't want that kind of praise. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmonia-lewis/i-don-t-want-you-to-praise-me-some-praise-me-because-i-am-a-colored/) [Edmonia Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmonia-lewis/) > [The sense of tragedy - according to Aristotle - comes, ironically enough, not from the protagonist's weak points but from his good qualities. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sense-of-tragedy-according-to-aristotle-comes-ironically-enough/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Political correctness is a major defect of the western ethos. Some Western countries have even passed blasphemy laws that would put you in legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-sina/political-correctness-is-a-major-defect-of-the-western-ethos-some/) [Ali Sina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-sina/) > [Absence of defects does not necessarily build business... Something more is required.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-edwards-deming/absence-of-defects-does-not-necessarily-build-business-something-more/) [W. Edwards Deming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-edwards-deming/) > [Every reader should remember the diffidence of Socrates, and repair by his candour the injuries of time: he should impute the seeming defects of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/every-reader-should-remember-the-diffidence-of-socrates-and-repair-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The essence of man is his freedom. Sin is committed in that freedom. Sin can therefore not be attributed to a defect in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reinhold-niebuhr/the-essence-of-man-is-his-freedom-sin-is-committed-in-that-freedom/) [Reinhold Niebuhr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reinhold-niebuhr/) > [The second commandment that Jesus referred to was not to love others instead of ourselves, but to love them as ourselves. Before we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-warner/the-second-commandment-that-jesus-referred-to-was-not-to-love-others/) [Jim Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-warner/) > [The weakest man is the one who is able to correct his moral defects, but doesn't take action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/the-weakest-man-is-the-one-who-is-able-to-correct-his-moral-defects/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [Whoever recounts to you the faults of your neighbour will doubtless expose your defects to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/whoever-recounts-to-you-the-faults-of-your-neighbour-will-doubtless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Like all of us sinners, General Betrishchev was endowed with many virtues and many defects. Both the one and the other were scattered through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-gogol/like-all-of-us-sinners-general-betrishchev-was-endowed-with-many/) [Nikolai Gogol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-gogol/) [Browse all 559 Defects quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is the prerogative of great men only to have great defects.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only-to-have-great-defects/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Defects" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only-to-have-great-defects/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_defects_it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only_1296473.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_defects_it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only_1296473.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5c/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_defects_it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only_1296473.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is the prerogative of great men only to have great defects.” — Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "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": "Francois de La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is the prerogative of great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only-to-have-great-defects/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-the-prerogative-of-great-men-only-to-have-great-defects/#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 } } ] } ```