--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Mankind ought constantly to be striving…" description: "\"“Mankind ought constantly to be striving to produce Great Men --this and nothing else is its duty”\" — Friedrich Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/friedrich-nietzsche-15_great-men_mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving_1101398.jpg" --- # Mankind ought constantly to be striving to produce Great… ![“Mankind ought constantly to be striving to produce Great Men --this and nothing else is its duty” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/friedrich-nietzsche-15_great-men_mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving_1101398.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/friedrich-nietzsche-15_great-men_mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving_1101398.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/friedrich-nietzsche-15_great-men_mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving_1101398.jpg) > ““Mankind ought constantly to be striving to produce Great Men --this and nothing else is its duty”” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates that humanity's highest purpose is to create exceptional individuals. **In simple terms:** Human duty is to produce great people. Key Takeaway Strive to develop greatness. Themes philosophy human potential ethics Mood provocative critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - leadership - culture building Key Concepts greatness responsibility self‑overcoming Questions to Reflect On - What responsibilities do we have to the many? - How can societies balance individual greatness with communal care? A Different Perspective Neglects collective well‑being; may justify elitism. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Mankind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind/) [Mankind Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mankind-ought-390499/) [Men Duty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-duty-1877003/) [Nature of man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-of-man/) [Ought Constantly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-constantly-2888868/) ## Related quotes > [For earthly princes lay aside their power when they rise up against God, and are unworthy to be reckoned among the number of mankind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/for-earthly-princes-lay-aside-their-power-when-they-rise-up-against/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [You ought to love all mankind; nay, every individual of mankind. 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You ought not to love the individuals of your domestic circles less, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/you-ought-to-love-all-mankind-nay-every-individual-of-mankind-you-2/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Mankind ought to end its existence of its own will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-wessel-zapffe/mankind-ought-to-end-its-existence-of-its-own-will/) [Peter Wessel Zapffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-wessel-zapffe/) > [Great men's errors are to be venerated as more fruitful than little men's truths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/great-men-s-errors-are-to-be-venerated-as-more-fruitful-than-little/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It is not the strength, but the duration, of great sentiments that makes great men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-not-the-strength-but-the-duration-of-great-sentiments-that/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Let men do their duty and the women will be such wonders; the female lives from the light of the male: see a male's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/let-men-do-their-duty-and-the-women-will-be-such-wonders-the-female/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [Let the men do their duty & the women will be such wonders; the female life lives from the light of the male: see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/let-the-men-do-their-duty-the-women-will-be-such-wonders-the-female/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [What is here a right towards men, is a duty towards the Creator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/what-is-here-a-right-towards-men-is-a-duty-towards-the-creator/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [No age is wanting in able men; it is the duty of wise masters to find them out, win them over, and get work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aurangzeb/no-age-is-wanting-in-able-men-it-is-the-duty-of-wise-masters-to-find/) [Aurangzeb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aurangzeb/) > [Around the world, we can see the results of exploitation which destroys much without taking future generations into account. Today, all men have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/around-the-world-we-can-see-the-results-of-exploitation-which/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that you don'tin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-rommel/be-an-example-to-your-men-in-your-duty-and-in-private-life-never/) [Erwin Rommel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-rommel/) > [Send light to the dark hearts of men, that is the duty the artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-schumann/send-light-to-the-dark-hearts-of-men-that-is-the-duty-the-artist/) [Robert Schumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-schumann/) > [Great things demand that we either remain silent about them or speak in a great manner: in a great manner, that is-cynically and with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/great-things-demand-that-we-either-remain-silent-about-them-or-speak/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More by Friedrich Nietzsche > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The great periods of our life occur when we gain the courage to rechristen what is bad about us as what is best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-great-periods-of-our-life-occur-when-we-gain-the-courage-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“What is life? Life - that is: continually shedding something that wants to die. Life - that is: being cruel and inexorable against everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-is-life-life-that-is-continually-shedding-something-that-wants/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is thus only this personal feeling of misery that we get rid of by acts of pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-thus-only-this-personal-feeling-of-misery-that-we-get-rid-of-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“he does not wear a twitching, mobile, human face, but rather a mask, as it were, with its features in dignified equilibrium; he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/he-does-not-wear-a-twitching-mobile-human-face-but-rather-a-mask-as/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many it is almost a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/chastity-is-a-virtue-with-some-but-with-many-it-is-almost-a-vice/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The earth is like the breasts of a woman: useful as well as pleasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-earth-is-like-the-breasts-of-a-woman-useful-as-well-as-pleasing/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Of all that is written I love only what a man has written in his own blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-man-has-written-in-his-own/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Pain makes hens and poets cackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/pain-makes-hens-and-poets-cackle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Explore all 3,486 Friedrich Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More Great men quotes > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Great men don't 'move to the center' - great men move the center!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/great-men-don-t-move-to-the-center-great-men-move-the-center/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-great/) [John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/) > [“The origins of great companies inevitably start with the ideas and enterprise of great men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/the-origins-of-great-companies-inevitably-start-with-the-ideas-and/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [A wholesome regard for the memory of the great men of long ago is the best assurance to a people of a continuation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/a-wholesome-regard-for-the-memory-of-the-great-men-of-long-ago-is-the/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [My father was a really great man. I'll never forget the last thing he ever said to me. Nor will I ever repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-hall/my-father-was-a-really-great-man-i-ll-never-forget-the-last-thing-he/) [John S. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-hall/) > [I ruined my hands in the ring. The referee kept stepping on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/i-ruined-my-hands-in-the-ring-the-referee-kept-stepping-on-them/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sadder-proof-can-be-given-by-a-man-of-his-own-littleness-than/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [First at the outset, let me commend the great men and women of the United States Coast Guard for what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vito-fossella/first-at-the-outset-let-me-commend-the-great-men-and-women-of-the/) [Vito Fossella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vito-fossella/) > [Greatness by nature includes a power, but not a will to power. ... The great man, whether we comprehend him in the most intense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/greatness-by-nature-includes-a-power-but-not-a-will-to-power-the/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [“Pretty girls lie at the centre of straight culture, dyke culture, fag culture. They sell everything, they buy everything, they ruin great men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/pretty-girls-lie-at-the-centre-of-straight-culture-dyke-culture-fag/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [If you're early on in your career and they give you a choice between a great mentor or higher pay, take the mentor every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-druckenmiller/if-you-re-early-on-in-your-career-and-they-give-you-a-choice-between/) [Stanley Druckenmiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-druckenmiller/) > [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) [Browse all 1,454 Great men quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Mankind ought constantly to be striving to produce Great Men --this and nothing else is its duty”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Friedrich Nietzsche" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving-to-produce-great-men-this-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great men" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving-to-produce-great-men-this-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/friedrich-nietzsche-15_great-men_mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving_1101398.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/friedrich-nietzsche-15_great-men_mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving_1101398.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ff/friedrich-nietzsche-15_great-men_mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving_1101398.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Mankind ought constantly to be striving to produce Great Men --this and nothing else is its duty” — Friedrich Nietzsche", "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": "Friedrich Nietzsche", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Mankind ought constantly to be striving...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving-to-produce-great-men-this-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/mankind-ought-constantly-to-be-striving-to-produce-great-men-this-and/#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 } } ] } ```