--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: None but great men are capable of having…" description: "\"None but great men are capable of having great flaws.\" — Francois de La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_none-but-great-men-are-capable-of-having_1217970.png" --- # None but great men are capable of having great flaws. ![“None but great men are capable of having great flaws.” quote by Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_none-but-great-men-are-capable-of-having_1217970.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_none-but-great-men-are-capable-of-having_1217970.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12f/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld-1_capable_none-but-great-men-are-capable-of-having_1217970.png) > “None but great men are capable of having great flaws.” [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. Even great individuals possess significant flaws, highlighting human imperfection. **In simple terms:** Great people still have major flaws. Key Takeaway Accept imperfection in all, including leaders. Themes humanity leadership flaws Mood critical empathetic Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - Leadership evaluation - personal development - team building Key Concepts Moral philosophy self‑awareness Questions to Reflect On - How do you reconcile admiration with flaw awareness? - What role do flaws play in growth? A Different Perspective Idealizing leaders can blind judgment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capable/) [Defects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defects/) [Flaws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flaws/) [Great Flaws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-flaws-3718932/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Having Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-great-291596/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-capable-522987/) ## Related quotes > [One of the great flaws that we all share is that we think everyone else is cooler, everyone else is sexier; everyone else has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/one-of-the-great-flaws-that-we-all-share-is-that-we-think-everyone/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [Great men have great flaws as well as great deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/great-men-have-great-flaws-as-well-as-great-deeds/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Trust not yourself; but your defects to know, Make use of ev'ry friend—and ev'ry foe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-pope/trust-not-yourself-but-your-defects-to-know-make-use-of-ev-ry-friend/) [Alexander Pope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-pope/) > [A morality that holds need as a claim, holds emptiness-non-existence-as its standard of value; it rewards an absence, a defect: weakness, inability, incompetence, suffering,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/a-morality-that-holds-need-as-a-claim-holds-emptiness-non-existence/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [But Thee, but Thee, O sovereign Seer of time, But Thee, O poets' Poet, Wisdom's Tongue, But Thee, O man's best Man, O love's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-lanier/but-thee-but-thee-o-sovereign-seer-of-time-but-thee-o-poets-poet/) [Sidney Lanier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-lanier/) > [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/) > [The defects of the mind, like those of the face, grow worse with age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/the-defects-of-the-mind-like-those-of-the-face-grow-worse-with-age/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [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/) > [It is the prerogative of great men only to have great defects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/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/) > [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/) > [In infants, levity is a prettiness; in men a shameful defect; but in old age, a monstrous folly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/in-infants-levity-is-a-prettiness-in-men-a-shameful-defect-but-in-old/) [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/) > [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/) > [Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-johnson/girls-are-capable-of-doing-everything-men-are-capable-of-doing/) [Katherine Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-johnson/) ## 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 Capable quotes > [When we are capable of living in the moment free from the tyranny of "shoulds," free from the nagging sensation that this moment isn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-z-borysenko/when-we-are-capable-of-living-in-the-moment-free-from-the-tyranny-of/) [Joan Z. 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And women even more than men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-zevin/people-are-capable-of-great-great-change-during-the-span-of-one/) [Gabrielle Zevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-zevin/) > [When you lived it for years and years and years and seen different characters just get pummeled and squashed because 'I said so,' it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arn-anderson/when-you-lived-it-for-years-and-years-and-years-and-seen-different/) [Arn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arn-anderson/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [But, outside of being a sweet little girl, she was awfully dumb and capable of doing horrible things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/but-outside-of-being-a-sweet-little-girl-she-was-awfully-dumb-and/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [I was terrible student. 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