--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A deed happens in a definite place at a…" description: "\"A deed happens in a definite place at a definite time, but if it be sufficiently great and pregnant, its virtue radiates everywhere in time and space.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/george-sarton-17933_deeds_a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a_110429.png" --- # A deed happens in a definite place at a definite time, but… ![“A deed happens in a definite place at a definite time, but if it be sufficiently great and pregnant, its virtue radiates everywhere in time and space.” quote by George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/george-sarton-17933_deeds_a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a_110429.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/george-sarton-17933_deeds_a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a_110429.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/george-sarton-17933_deeds_a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a_110429.png) > “A deed happens in a definite place at a definite time, but if it be sufficiently great and pregnant, its virtue radiates everywhere in time and space.” [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A single, significant act can have far‑reaching influence across time and space, beyond its immediate context. **In simple terms:** Great deeds echo everywhere. Key Takeaway Impact transcends location and moment. Themes history impact cause‑effect legacy Mood inspirational reflective Type didactic historical When to use this quote - scientific discovery - social reform - artistic masterpiece - technological breakthrough Key Concepts ripple effect historical significance Practical Applications - recognizing potential long‑term effects - strategic planning for lasting influence Questions to Reflect On - What makes an act 'sufficiently great' to radiate? - How can we nurture small actions into larger impacts? A Different Perspective Not all actions achieve widespread resonance; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deed Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deed-happens-1312148/) [Deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) [Definite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definite/) [Definite Place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definite-place-1312149/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Happens Definite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens-definite-1312147/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Pregnant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnant/) [Pregnant Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnant-virtue-1312146/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time and space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-and-space/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [Virtue Radiates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue-radiates-1312150/) ## Related quotes > [The gospel teaches us that true beauty is more than skin-deep. 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I really don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-yzerman/since-the-season-ended-i-ve-let-things-settle-down-and-i-have-to-talk/) [Steve Yzerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-yzerman/) > [The word of the Lord never comes to us as an opinion, no attempt is made to support it by argument, it comes as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-w-ivins/the-word-of-the-lord-never-comes-to-us-as-an-opinion-no-attempt-is/) [Anthony W. Ivins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-w-ivins/) > [First of all, principles should be general. 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I was already writing short stories for the radio and selling poems to poetry and art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wole-soyinka/i-began-writing-early-very-very-early-i-was-already-writing-short/) [Wole Soyinka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wole-soyinka/) > [Defense is a definite part of the game, and a great part of defense is learning to play it without fouling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/defense-is-a-definite-part-of-the-game-and-a-great-part-of-defense-is/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [The album is a definite departure. I haven't written original material before, except for one song on my first album, but Elvis and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-krall/the-album-is-a-definite-departure-i-haven-t-written-original-material/) [Diana Krall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-krall/) > [There are definite reference points to older Depeche Mode records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gore/there-are-definite-reference-points-to-older-depeche-mode-records/) [Martin Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gore/) ## More by George Sarton > [Men of science have made abundant mistakes of every kind; their knowledge has improved only because of their gradual abandonment of ancient errors, poor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/men-of-science-have-made-abundant-mistakes-of-every-kind-their/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [The history of science should not be an instrument to defend any kind of social or philosophic theory; it should be used only for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/the-history-of-science-should-not-be-an-instrument-to-defend-any-kind/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [Greek culture is pleasant to contemplate because of its great simplicity and naturalness, and because of the absence of gadgets, each of which is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/greek-culture-is-pleasant-to-contemplate-because-of-its-great/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [Some forty years of experience in my field as a scholar and as a teacher have given me great confidence mixed with greater humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/some-forty-years-of-experience-in-my-field-as-a-scholar-and-as-a/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [It would be foolish to give credit to Euclid for pangeometrical conceptions; the idea of geometry deifferent from the common-sense one never occurred to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/it-would-be-foolish-to-give-credit-to-euclid-for-pangeometrical/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [The historical order is very interesting, but accidental and capricious; if we would to understand the growth of knowledge, we cannot be satisfied with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/the-historical-order-is-very-interesting-but-accidental-and/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [The rationalism of the creative minds was tempered by abundant fantasies, and the supreme beauty of the monuments was probably spoiled by the circumambient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/the-rationalism-of-the-creative-minds-was-tempered-by-abundant/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [If we are generous enough, we can stretch our souls everywhere and everywhen else. If we succeed in doing so, we shall discover that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/if-we-are-generous-enough-we-can-stretch-our-souls-everywhere-and/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [The main, as well as the least obvious, achievement of the Middle Ages was the creation of the experimental spirit and this was primarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/the-main-as-well-as-the-least-obvious-achievement-of-the-middle-ages/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [On the basis of my historical experience, I fully believe that mathematics of the 25th century will be as different from that of today…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/on-the-basis-of-my-historical-experience-i-fully-believe-that/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [It is childish to assume that science began in Greece; the Greek "miracle" was prepared by millenia of work in Egypt, Mesopotamia and possibly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/it-is-childish-to-assume-that-science-began-in-greece-the-greek/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [In ancient times there was no public education, except that of the forum, the theater, and the street, and the general degree of illiteracy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/in-ancient-times-there-was-no-public-education-except-that-of-the/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [The whole past and the whole world are alive in my heart, and I shall do my part to communicate their presence to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/the-whole-past-and-the-whole-world-are-alive-in-my-heart-and-i-shall/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [Wisdom is not mathematical, nor astronomical, nor zoological; when it talks too much of any one thing it ceases to be itself. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/wisdom-is-not-mathematical-nor-astronomical-nor-zoological-when-it/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) > [We have reason to believe that when, during the crusades, Europe at last began to establish hospitals, they were inspired by the Arabs of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/we-have-reason-to-believe-that-when-during-the-crusades-europe-at/) [George Sarton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) [Explore all 36 George Sarton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/) ## More Deeds quotes > [If ever I did a man any goodof course it was something exceptional and insignificant compared with the good or evil which I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-ever-i-did-a-man-any-goodof-course-it-was-something-exceptional/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [When Allah puts barakah (His blessings) in something, it will come beyond your expectations- never underestimate the power of one good deed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/when-allah-puts-barakah-his-blessings-in-something-it-will-come/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [Time often serves to justify a deed which seems at first unjustifiable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-p-ryan/time-often-serves-to-justify-a-deed-which-seems-at-first-unjustifiable/) [Donald P. Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-p-ryan/) > [When deeds speak, words are nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-joseph-proudhon/when-deeds-speak-words-are-nothing/) [Pierre-Joseph Proudhon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-joseph-proudhon/) > [Somehow, what's in our hearts, good or bad is eventually translated into words and deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-stanley/somehow-what-s-in-our-hearts-good-or-bad-is-eventually-translated/) [Andy Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-stanley/) > [Honest people don't hide their deeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-bronte/honest-people-don-t-hide-their-deeds/) [Emily Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-bronte/) > [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/) [Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/) > [Tis e'er the wont of simple folk to prize the deed and o'erlook the motive, and of learned folk to discount the deed and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barth/tis-e-er-the-wont-of-simple-folk-to-prize-the-deed-and-o-erlook-the/) [John Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barth/) > [How oft the sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/how-oft-the-sight-of-means-to-do-ill-deeds-makes-ill-deeds-done/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A nation of character is filled with citizens who gradually build lives based on the living awareness that their deeds are judged by eyes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-keyes/a-nation-of-character-is-filled-with-citizens-who-gradually-build/) [Alan Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-keyes/) > [Time, which wears down and diminishes all things, augments and increases good deeds, because a good turn liberally offered to a reasonable man grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-rabelais/time-which-wears-down-and-diminishes-all-things-augments-and/) [Francois Rabelais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-rabelais/) > [Alas, you don't need monsters for monstrous deeds to be accomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zygmunt-bauman/alas-you-don-t-need-monsters-for-monstrous-deeds-to-be-accomplished/) [Zygmunt Bauman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zygmunt-bauman/) > [I rejoice that the reign of Christ is such, while it thrills the soul with emotions, and opens before the highest intellect the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-simpson/i-rejoice-that-the-reign-of-christ-is-such-while-it-thrills-the-soul/) [Matthew Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-simpson/) > [The final estimate of men shows that history cares not an iota for the rank or title a man has borne, or the office…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-oswald-sanders/the-final-estimate-of-men-shows-that-history-cares-not-an-iota-for/) [J. Oswald Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-oswald-sanders/) > [The World's a Printing-House, our words, our thoughts, Our deeds, are characters of several sizes. Each soul is a Compos'tor, of whose faults The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-world-s-a-printing-house-our-words-our-thoughts-our-deeds-are/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) [Browse all 2,029 Deeds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A deed happens in a definite place at a definite time, but if it be sufficiently great and pregnant, its virtue radiates everywhere in time and space.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "George Sarton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a-definite-time-but-if-it-be/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deeds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a-definite-time-but-if-it-be/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/george-sarton-17933_deeds_a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a_110429.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/george-sarton-17933_deeds_a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a_110429.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/860/george-sarton-17933_deeds_a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a_110429.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A deed happens in a definite place at a definite time, but if it be sufficiently great and pregnant, its…” — George Sarton", "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": "George Sarton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sarton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A deed happens in a definite...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a-definite-time-but-if-it-be/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sarton/a-deed-happens-in-a-definite-place-at-a-definite-time-but-if-it-be/#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 } } ] } ```