--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man who thinks a great deal about…" description: "\"“A man who thinks a great deal about himself will try to be many-sided, attempt a theatrical excellence at all points, will try to be an encyclopaedia ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/g-k-chesterton-224_man-thinks_a-man-who-thinks-a-great-deal-about-hims_2768684.jpg" --- # A man who thinks a great deal about himself will try to be… ![“A man who thinks a great deal about himself will try to be many-sided, attempt a theatrical excellence at all points, will try to be an encyclopaedia of culture, and his own real personality will be lost in that false universalism.” quote by G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/g-k-chesterton-224_man-thinks_a-man-who-thinks-a-great-deal-about-hims_2768684.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/g-k-chesterton-224_man-thinks_a-man-who-thinks-a-great-deal-about-hims_2768684.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a8/g-k-chesterton-224_man-thinks_a-man-who-thinks-a-great-deal-about-hims_2768684.jpg) > ““A man who thinks a great deal about himself will try to be many-sided, attempt a theatrical excellence at all points, will try to be an encyclopaedia of culture, and his own real personality will be lost in that false universalism.”” [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Over‑intellectualizing and trying to be universally skilled erodes authentic personality. **In simple terms:** Trying to be everything dilutes true self. Key Takeaway Focus on genuine strengths, not superficial versatility. Themes identity authenticity humility culture Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical advisory When to use this quote - career development - creative work - social interactions Key Concepts philosophy self‑concept over‑extension Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance breadth and depth? - What defines your core self? A Different Perspective Risk of becoming a jack‑of‑all‑trades, master of none. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attempt Theatrical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attempt-theatrical-3226054/) [False Universalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/false-universalism-3226052/) [Man Thinks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-thinks/) [Personality Lost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality-lost-3226053/) [Real Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-personality-314251/) ## Related quotes > [My real personality comes out in the country. More spontaneous, more excited. 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Eventually you get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-rogan/not-all-comedy-clubs-or-situations-are-ideal-especially-when-you-re/) [Joe Rogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-rogan/) > [“She had shown me how to behave when applying for a job, how to show the proper amount of respect, submission, eagerness to please,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamaica-kincaid/she-had-shown-me-how-to-behave-when-applying-for-a-job-how-to-show/) [Jamaica Kincaid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamaica-kincaid/) > [It's best that I hide my real personality. I cannot tell you what it is because I don't want to go to prison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gianfranco-zola/it-s-best-that-i-hide-my-real-personality-i-cannot-tell-you-what-it/) [Gianfranco Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gianfranco-zola/) > [The real revelation of a player's character is not in his social life but in how he plays. In my social life I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/the-real-revelation-of-a-player-s-character-is-not-in-his-social-life/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) ## More by G.K. Chesterton > [“I never use paradox. The statements I make are wearisome and obvious common sense. I have even been driven to the tedium of reading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/i-never-use-paradox-the-statements-i-make-are-wearisome-and-obvious/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Nothing, again, could be more prosaic and impenetrable than the domestic energies of Miss Diana Duke. But Innocent had somehow blundered on the discovery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/nothing-again-could-be-more-prosaic-and-impenetrable-than-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“The mass of men have been forced to be gay about the little things, but sad about the big ones. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“There exists in such a case a certain institution or law; let us say for the sake of simplicity, a fence or gate erected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/there-exists-in-such-a-case-a-certain-institution-or-law-let-us-say/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Man, by a blind instinct, knew that if once things were wildly questioned, reason could be questioned first. The authority of priests to absolve,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-by-a-blind-instinct-knew-that-if-once-things-were-wildly/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“It is idle to talk always of the alternative of reason and faith. Reason is itself a matter of faith. It is an act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/it-is-idle-to-talk-always-of-the-alternative-of-reason-and-faith/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“But in order that life should be a story or romance to us, it is necessary that a great part of it, at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/but-in-order-that-life-should-be-a-story-or-romance-to-us-it-is/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Buddhism seeks after God with the largest conception it can find, the all-producing and all-absorbing One; Christianity seeks after God with the most elementary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/buddhism-seeks-after-god-with-the-largest-conception-it-can-find-the/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) > [“Man is more himself, more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing and grief superficial.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-k-chesterton/man-is-more-himself-more-manlike-when-joy-is-the-fundamental-thing/) [G.K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) [Explore all 853 G.K. Chesterton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-k-chesterton/) ## More Man Thinks quotes > [“A man thinks it quite natural that he should fall out of love with a woman, but it never strikes him for a moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/a-man-thinks-it-quite-natural-that-he-should-fall-out-of-love-with-a/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“This is the man who thinks too much, who stands back from his life and never lives it. He is caught in a web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-moore/this-is-the-man-who-thinks-too-much-who-stands-back-from-his-life-and/) [Robert L. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-moore/) > [“Here's how man thinks: "If no one's done it, why should I try? 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He wonders about retroactive continuity and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carljoe-javier/the-man-thinks-of-multiverses-of-splits-of-the-momentous-moments-when/) [Carljoe Javier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carljoe-javier/) > [A wise man first thinks and then speaks and a fool speaks first and then thinks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/a-wise-man-first-thinks-and-then-speaks-and-a-fool-speaks-first-and/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [If a man thinks he is not conceited, he is very conceited indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-man-thinks-he-is-not-conceited-he-is-very-conceited-indeed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Man is whoever he thinks he is, within his own boundaries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dudley-davidson-jarrett/man-is-whoever-he-thinks-he-is-within-his-own-boundaries/) [Dudley Davidson-Jarrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dudley-davidson-jarrett/) > [The free man never thinks of escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-free-man-never-thinks-of-escape/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [An autobiography is the story of how a man thinks he lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/an-autobiography-is-the-story-of-how-a-man-thinks-he-lived/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man often thinks of either his past or his future and in the mean time today passes like a fast train, disappearing forever on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/man-often-thinks-of-either-his-past-or-his-future-and-in-the-mean/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [A man thinks he owns things, and it is he who is owned](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-gide/a-man-thinks-he-owns-things-and-it-is-he-who-is-owned/) [Andre Gide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-gide/) [Browse all 180 Man Thinks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-thinks/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A man who thinks a great deal about himself will try to be many-sided, attempt a theatrical excellence at all points, will try to be an encyclopaedia of culture, and his own real personality will be lost in that false universalism.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "G.K. 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