--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Little minds are too much hurt by little…" description: "\"Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great minds are quite conscious of them and despise them\" — Francois La Rochefoucauld" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_great-minds_little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little_271113.jpg" --- # Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great… ![“Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great minds are quite conscious of them and despise them” quote by Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_great-minds_little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little_271113.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_great-minds_little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little_271113.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_great-minds_little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little_271113.jpg) > “Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great minds are quite conscious of them and despise them” [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-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. Trivial matters disturb those with shallow thinking, while wise people recognize and dismiss them. **In simple terms:** Small things upset the petty; the wise ignore them. Key Takeaway Cultivate perspective to rise above minor irritations. Themes wisdom perspective trivialities Mood calm insightful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily annoyances - leadership decisions - personal growth Key Concepts mental resilience value judgment Questions to Reflect On - What minor issues consume your thoughts? - How can you practice detachment? A Different Perspective Even great minds can be distracted by minutiae. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-minds/) [Little minds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-minds/) [Little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) ## Related quotes > [“357.—Little minds are too much wounded by little things; great minds see all and are not even hurt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/357-little-minds-are-too-much-wounded-by-little-things-great-minds/) [Francois Duc de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-duc-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Little minds think and talk about people. Average minds think and talk about things and actions. Great minds think and talk about ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/little-minds-think-and-talk-about-people-average-minds-think-and-talk/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Little minds try to solve the matters through violence and darkness; great minds try to solve the matters through love and light!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/little-minds-try-to-solve-the-matters-through-violence-and-darkness/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [When parents accused me of polluting young minds, I was hurt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suresh-gopi/when-parents-accused-me-of-polluting-young-minds-i-was-hurt/) [Suresh Gopi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suresh-gopi/) > [a great mind can attend to little things, but a little mind cannot attend to great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-m-child/a-great-mind-can-attend-to-little-things-but-a-little-mind-cannot/) [Lydia M. Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [Little minds are interested in the extraordinary; great minds in the commonplace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/little-minds-are-interested-in-the-extraordinary-great-minds-in-the/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [As it is the mark of great minds to say many things in a few words, so it is that of little minds to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/as-it-is-the-mark-of-great-minds-to-say-many-things-in-a-few-words-so/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortune; but great minds rise above them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/little-minds-are-tamed-and-subdued-by-misfortune-but-great-minds-rise/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [The little mind who loves itself, will wr'te and think with the vulgar; but the great mind will be bravely eccentric, and scorn the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-little-mind-who-loves-itself-will-wr-te-and-think-with-the-vulgar/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [“Great minds have purpose, others have wishes. Little minds are tamed and subdued by misfortunes; but great minds rise above them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/great-minds-have-purpose-others-have-wishes-little-minds-are-tamed/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [Great minds have purposes; little minds have wishes. Little minds are subdued by misfortunes; great minds rise above them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/great-minds-have-purposes-little-minds-have-wishes-little-minds-are/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [If you would stand well with a great mind, leave him with a favorable impression of yourself; if with a little mind, leave him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/if-you-would-stand-well-with-a-great-mind-leave-him-with-a-favorable/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [“We do not see the minds that we hurt when we publish falsehoods, but that does not mean we do no harm.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/we-do-not-see-the-minds-that-we-hurt-when-we-publish-falsehoods-but/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“Little minds instinctively seek to circumscribe the things around them, to pull in the walls to the size of their own small existence, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amatu-l-bah-r-h-yyih-khanum/little-minds-instinctively-seek-to-circumscribe-the-things-around/) Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum > [“Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-cialdini/consistency-is-the-hobgoblin-of-little-minds/) [Robert B. Cialdini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-cialdini/) ## More by Francois La Rochefoucauld > [If we are to judge of love by the consequences, it more nearly resembles hatred than friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/if-we-are-to-judge-of-love-by-the-consequences-it-more-nearly/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The world more often rewards the appearance of merit than merit itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/the-world-more-often-rewards-the-appearance-of-merit-than-merit-itself/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The mind cannot long act the role of the heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/the-mind-cannot-long-act-the-role-of-the-heart/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The pleasure of love is in loving. We are much happier in the passion we feel than in that we inspire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/the-pleasure-of-love-is-in-loving-we-are-much-happier-in-the-passion/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [If we judge of love by its usual effects, it resembles hatred more than friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/if-we-judge-of-love-by-its-usual-effects-it-resembles-hatred-more/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [When our vices quit us, we flatter ourselves with the belief that it is we who quit them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/when-our-vices-quit-us-we-flatter-ourselves-with-the-belief-that-it/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Age is a tyrant who forbids at the penalty of life all the pleasures of youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/age-is-a-tyrant-who-forbids-at-the-penalty-of-life-all-the-pleasures/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones, as wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/absence-diminishes-little-passions-and-increases-great-ones-as-wind/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [In their first passion women love their lovers, in all the others they love love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/in-their-first-passion-women-love-their-lovers-in-all-the-others-they/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Fertility of mind does not furnish us with so many resources on the same matter, as the lack of intelligence makes us hesitate at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/fertility-of-mind-does-not-furnish-us-with-so-many-resources-on-the/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“On n'est jamais si heureux ni si malheureux qu'on s'imagine.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/on-n-est-jamais-si-heureux-ni-si-malheureux-qu-on-s-imagine/) [François La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [We often pass from love to ambition, but we hardly ever return from ambition to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/we-often-pass-from-love-to-ambition-but-we-hardly-ever-return-from/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Few persons have sufficient wisdom to prefer censure, which is useful, to praise which deceives them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/few-persons-have-sufficient-wisdom-to-prefer-censure-which-is-useful/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [“Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undecieved by them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/sometimes-we-are-less-unhappy-in-being-deceived-by-those-we-love-than-2/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Women who love, pardon more readily great indiscretions than little infidelities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/women-who-love-pardon-more-readily-great-indiscretions-than-little/) [Francois La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) [Explore all 40 Francois La Rochefoucauld quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/) ## More Great minds quotes > [The power of duly appreciating little things belongs to a great mind...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/the-power-of-duly-appreciating-little-things-belongs-to-a-great-mind/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [It is thus hardly surprising that so many of the great minds in recent history have concerned themselves with economic matters. Indeed, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-zane-pilzer/it-is-thus-hardly-surprising-that-so-many-of-the-great-minds-in/) [Paul Zane Pilzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-zane-pilzer/) > [College is such a unique time because you're learning a little bit how to be an adult. You're learning how to take care of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-hathaway/college-is-such-a-unique-time-because-you-re-learning-a-little-bit/) [Anne Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-hathaway/) > [Great minds think alike because a greater Mind is thinking through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/great-minds-think-alike-because-a-greater-mind-is-thinking-through/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [Remember that poise and power are inseparably associated. The calm and balanced mind is the strong and great mind; the hurried and agitated mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/remember-that-poise-and-power-are-inseparably-associated-the-calm-and/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [My sense is that we're ready for another industrial revolution in this country. The great minds and innovators of Silicon Valley would come through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/my-sense-is-that-we-re-ready-for-another-industrial-revolution-in/) [Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/) > [Great minds are always feared by lesser minds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-brown/great-minds-are-always-feared-by-lesser-minds/) [Dan Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-brown/) > [The sciences of today are business enterprises run on business principles. Research in large institutes is not guided by Truth and Reason but by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feyerabend/the-sciences-of-today-are-business-enterprises-run-on-business/) [Paul Feyerabend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feyerabend/) > [If Uber wants to catch up to Google and be the leader in autonomy, we have to have the best minds. We have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/if-uber-wants-to-catch-up-to-google-and-be-the-leader-in-autonomy-we/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [When you put two great minds, great things can happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-parsons/when-you-put-two-great-minds-great-things-can-happen/) [Micah Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-parsons/) > [A great mind will neither give an affront nor bear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-home-lord-kames/a-great-mind-will-neither-give-an-affront-nor-bear-it/) [Henry Home, Lord Kames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-home-lord-kames/) > [Managing your problems can only make you good, whereas building your opportunities is the only way to become great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/managing-your-problems-can-only-make-you-good-whereas-building-your/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Could the one whom Christians worship be merely a mythological creation, or is he real? These questions have exercised many great minds and have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-clayton/could-the-one-whom-christians-worship-be-merely-a-mythological/) [John Clayton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-clayton/) > [“Great minds talk about ideas; small minds talk about people”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/great-minds-talk-about-ideas-small-minds-talk-about-people/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“Great bodies die but great minds don't die! Inside the tomb of great men lay dead body's but at the library of great men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/great-bodies-die-but-great-minds-don-t-die-inside-the-tomb-of-great/) [Ernest Agyemang Yeboah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-agyemang-yeboah/) [Browse all 180 Great minds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-minds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great minds are quite conscious of them and despise them", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francois La Rochefoucauld" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little-things-great-minds-are-quite/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great minds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little-things-great-minds-are-quite/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_great-minds_little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little_271113.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_great-minds_little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little_271113.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ce/francois-la-rochefoucauld-1390_great-minds_little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little_271113.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Little minds are too much hurt by little things; great minds are quite conscious of them and despise them” — Francois 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 La Rochefoucauld", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-la-rochefoucauld/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Little minds are too much hurt...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little-things-great-minds-are-quite/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-la-rochefoucauld/little-minds-are-too-much-hurt-by-little-things-great-minds-are-quite/#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 } } ] } ```