--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Though I may not be a king in my future…" description: "\"Though I may not be a king in my future life, so much the better: I shall nevertheless live an active life and, on top of it, earn less ingratitude.\" —..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b82/frederick-the-great-8525_active_though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future_2601921.jpg" --- # Though I may not be a king in my future life, so much the… ![“Though I may not be a king in my future life, so much the better: I shall nevertheless live an active life and, on top of it, earn less ingratitude.” quote by Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b82/frederick-the-great-8525_active_though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future_2601921.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b82/frederick-the-great-8525_active_though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future_2601921.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b82/frederick-the-great-8525_active_though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future_2601921.jpg) > “Though I may not be a king in my future life, so much the better: I shall nevertheless live an active life and, on top of it, earn less ingratitude.” [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even without royalty, a purposeful, humble life yields less resentment. **In simple terms:** Live actively, modestly, without entitlement. Key Takeaway Pursue purpose over status. Themes humility purpose contentment leadership Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - career choices - community service - personal development Key Concepts philosophy political theory Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure success without titles? - What gives your life meaning? A Different Perspective Power can still corrupt modest intentions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Active](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/active/) [Active life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/active-life/) [Better Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-shall-1951941/) [Earn Ingratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earn-ingratitude-1951940/) [Future life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-life/) [I may not be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-may-not-be/) [Ingratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ingratitude/) [Kings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kings/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-better/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [My future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-future/) [Nevertheless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nevertheless/) [Reincarnation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reincarnation/) [Shall Live](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shall-live/) ## Related quotes > [It is better - it shall be better with me because I have known you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/it-is-better-it-shall-be-better-with-me-because-i-have-known-you/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The higher we go, the better we shall hear the voice of Christ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pier-giorgio-frassati/the-higher-we-go-the-better-we-shall-hear-the-voice-of-christ/) [Pier Giorgio Frassati](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pier-giorgio-frassati/) > [“If there is a God and future life, there is truth and good, and man's highest happiness consists in striving to attain them. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-there-is-a-god-and-future-life-there-is-truth-and-good-and-man-s/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“If there is a God and future life, there is truth and good, and man's highest happiness consists in striving to attain them. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/if-there-is-a-god-and-future-life-there-is-truth-and-good-and-man-s-2/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [“An active life serves the purpose of giving man the opportunity to realize values in creative work, while a passive life of enjoyment affords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/an-active-life-serves-the-purpose-of-giving-man-the-opportunity-to/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [Judaism is not a passive religion, but an active life factor which has coalesced with the national consciousness into one organic whole. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses-hess/judaism-is-not-a-passive-religion-but-an-active-life-factor-which-has/) [Moses Hess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses-hess/) > [“Donald Watson, who founded The Vegan Society in 1944 and who lived a healthy, active life until passing on in 2005, maintained that dairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garylfrancione/donald-watson-who-founded-the-vegan-society-in-1944-and-who-lived-a/) [GaryLFrancione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garylfrancione/) > [Clearly older women and especially older women who have led an active life or elder women who successfully maneuver through their own family life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/clearly-older-women-and-especially-older-women-who-have-led-an-active/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [In the active life all the vices are first of all to be removed by the practice of good works, so that in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isidore-of-seville/in-the-active-life-all-the-vices-are-first-of-all-to-be-removed-by/) [Isidore of Seville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isidore-of-seville/) > [I'm lucky enough to lead a very active life, so I'm always on the go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-m-lucky-enough-to-lead-a-very-active-life-so-i-m-always-on-the-go/) [Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/) > [Society is the true sphere of human virtue. In social, active life, difficulties will perpetually be met with; restraints of many kinds will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-carter/society-is-the-true-sphere-of-human-virtue-in-social-active-life/) [Elizabeth Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-carter/) > [We're encouraged by the engagement on ClassPass and the tremendous growth we've had that shows we are fulfilling our mission of helping people live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/payal-kadakia/we-re-encouraged-by-the-engagement-on-classpass-and-the-tremendous/) [Payal Kadakia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/payal-kadakia/) > [Our most emotionally active life is lived in our dreams, and our cells renew themselves most industriously in sleep. We reach highest in meditation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-bernstein/our-most-emotionally-active-life-is-lived-in-our-dreams-and-our-cells/) [Leonard Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-bernstein/) > [An impression which simply flows in at the pupil's eyes or ears and in no way modifies his active life, is an impression gone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-james/an-impression-which-simply-flows-in-at-the-pupil-s-eyes-or-ears-and/) [William James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-james/) > [“In his own way each man must struggle, lest the moral law become a far-off abstraction utterly separated from his active life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-addams/in-his-own-way-each-man-must-struggle-lest-the-moral-law-become-a-far/) [Jane Addams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-addams/) ## More by Frederick The Great > [“If it is bad to debase the innocence of a private individual, whose influence on the affairs of the world is minimal, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/if-it-is-bad-to-debase-the-innocence-of-a-private-individual-whose/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The Miracle of the House of Brandenburg had come to pass.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-miracle-of-the-house-of-brandenburg-had-come-to-pass/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“Compare Holland with Russia; you see only marshy and sterile islands in the former, which rise from the center of the ocean: a small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/compare-holland-with-russia-you-see-only-marshy-and-sterile-islands/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [All religions must be tolerated ... every man must go to heaven in his own way. \[Die Religionen müssen alle toleriert werden ... denn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/all-religions-must-be-tolerated-every-man-must-go-to-heaven-in-his/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [The people say what they like and then I do what I like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-people-say-what-they-like-and-then-i-do-what-i-like/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The cruel man is of misanthropic temperament, and is a man of moods, oscillating from quiet brooding to sudden explosions. If a man like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-cruel-man-is-of-misanthropic-temperament-and-is-a-man-of-moods/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [The more I see of men, the better I like my dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-more-i-see-of-men-the-better-i-like-my-dog/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [I am up and about when I am ill, and in the most appalling weather. I am on horseback when other men would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/i-am-up-and-about-when-i-am-ill-and-in-the-most-appalling-weather-i/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [If I wished to punish a province, I would have it governed by philosophers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/if-i-wished-to-punish-a-province-i-would-have-it-governed-by/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [“The floods which devastate regions, the fire of the lightning which reduces cities to ashes, the poison of the plague which afflicts provinces, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/the-floods-which-devastate-regions-the-fire-of-the-lightning-which/) [Frederick the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [A man with his heart in his profession imagines and finds resources where the worthless and lazy despair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/a-man-with-his-heart-in-his-profession-imagines-and-finds-resources/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Be more than you seem to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/be-more-than-you-seem-to-be/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [A man, who can, in cold blood, hunt and torture a poor, innocent animal, cannot feel much compassion for the distress of his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/a-man-who-can-in-cold-blood-hunt-and-torture-a-poor-innocent-animal/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [It is disgusting to notice the increase in the quantity of coffee used by my subjects, and the amount of money that goes out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/it-is-disgusting-to-notice-the-increase-in-the-quantity-of-coffee/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) > [Christianity - An old metaphysical romance, filled with marvels, contradictions, and absurdity, born in the ardent imagination of Orientals, has spread into our Europe.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/christianity-an-old-metaphysical-romance-filled-with-marvels/) [Frederick The Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) [Explore all 78 Frederick The Great quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/) ## More Active quotes > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [We in US need active intelligence: people being on the streets, people being able to stop and ask questions of individuals that they suspect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-guilfoyle/we-in-us-need-active-intelligence-people-being-on-the-streets-people/) [Kimberly Guilfoyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-guilfoyle/) > [Nothing is worse than active ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/nothing-is-worse-than-active-ignorance/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I eat healthy most of the time. Whole foods are the best for you when you are super active, so I get plenty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/witney-carson/i-eat-healthy-most-of-the-time-whole-foods-are-the-best-for-you-when/) [Witney Carson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/witney-carson/) > [Art shows us how to see things that are constructive and good, and to be an active part of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerhard-richter/art-shows-us-how-to-see-things-that-are-constructive-and-good-and-to/) [Gerhard Richter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerhard-richter/) > [Love, like truth and beauty, is concrete. Love is not fundamentally a sweet feeling; not, at heart, a matter of sentiment, attachment, or being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-heyward/love-like-truth-and-beauty-is-concrete-love-is-not-fundamentally-a/) [Carter Heyward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-heyward/) > [Studying Sol's interior by looking for analogous patterns on its incandescent face is known as helioseismology, an active - if largely unpronounceable - research…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-shostak/studying-sol-s-interior-by-looking-for-analogous-patterns-on-its/) [Seth Shostak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-shostak/) > [Science manipulates things and gives up living in them. It makes its own limited models of things; operating upon these indices or variables to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-merleau-ponty/science-manipulates-things-and-gives-up-living-in-them-it-makes-its/) [Maurice Merleau-Ponty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-merleau-ponty/) > [I stayed in L.A. long enough to get on my feet, and then I moved back to New York. The reason I moved here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/i-stayed-in-l-a-long-enough-to-get-on-my-feet-and-then-i-moved-back/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [The answer to any challenge you are having has nothing to do with God's willingness to help. It has to do with your acceptance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/the-answer-to-any-challenge-you-are-having-has-nothing-to-do-with-god/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [Pete Townsend for me was a huge influence. Because essentially they were a three-piece band and the way he structured his chords and took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lifeson/pete-townsend-for-me-was-a-huge-influence-because-essentially-they/) [Alex Lifeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lifeson/) > [There is an enemy. There is an intelligent, active, malign force working against us. Step one is to recognize this. This recognition alone is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/there-is-an-enemy-there-is-an-intelligent-active-malign-force-working/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [Few, if any, creatures are equally active all night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/few-if-any-creatures-are-equally-active-all-night/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [You need to enjoy yourself and just get into the routine of keeping fit and enjoying being active. That's always easier once you've made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alistair-brownlee/you-need-to-enjoy-yourself-and-just-get-into-the-routine-of-keeping/) [Alistair Brownlee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alistair-brownlee/) [Browse all 2,212 Active quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/active/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Though I may not be a king in my future life, so much the better: I shall nevertheless live an active life and, on top of it, earn less ingratitude.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick The Great" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future-life-so-much-the-better-i/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Active" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future-life-so-much-the-better-i/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b82/frederick-the-great-8525_active_though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future_2601921.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b82/frederick-the-great-8525_active_though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future_2601921.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b82/frederick-the-great-8525_active_though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future_2601921.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Though I may not be a king in my future life, so much the better: I shall nevertheless live an active life…” — Frederick The Great", "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": "Frederick The Great", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-the-great/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Though I may not be a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future-life-so-much-the-better-i/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-the-great/though-i-may-not-be-a-king-in-my-future-life-so-much-the-better-i/#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 } } ] } ```