--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If a man believes and expects great…" description: "\"If a man believes and expects great things of himself, it makes no odds where you put him, or what you show him . . he will be surrounded by grandeur.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-thin_3100279.jpg" --- # If a man believes and expects great things of himself, it… ![“If a man believes and expects great things of himself, it makes no odds where you put him, or what you show him . . he will be surrounded by grandeur.” quote by Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-thin_3100279.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-thin_3100279.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-thin_3100279.jpg) > “If a man believes and expects great things of himself, it makes no odds where you put him, or what you show him . . he will be surrounded by grandeur.” [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Believing in oneself and expecting greatness shapes outcomes, regardless of external circumstances. **In simple terms:** Self‑belief creates greatness. Key Takeaway Cultivate high expectations for yourself. Themes self‑belief expectation achievement Mood optimistic determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - personal growth - leadership Key Concepts self‑efficacy positive psychology Questions to Reflect On - What expectations do you hold for yourself? - How do you maintain belief during setbacks? A Different Perspective May ignore external constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Grandeur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grandeur/) [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Odds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odds/) ## Related quotes > [I'm a hard-working young man who believes in myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/granit-xhaka/i-m-a-hard-working-young-man-who-believes-in-myself/) [Granit Xhaka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/granit-xhaka/) > [Every man believes that he has greater possibilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/every-man-believes-that-he-has-greater-possibilities/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Man is what he believes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/man-is-what-he-believes/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [It is time we realize that belief is not a private matter. As a man believes, so he will act. Believe that you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/it-is-time-we-realize-that-belief-is-not-a-private-matter-as-a-man/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The man who believes he can do it is probably right, and so is the man who believes he can't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/the-man-who-believes-he-can-do-it-is-probably-right-and-so-is-the-man/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [Each man believes only his experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/empedocles/each-man-believes-only-his-experience/) [Empedocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/empedocles/) > [No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/no-man-ever-believes-that-the-bible-means-what-it-says-he-is-always/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [An atheist is a man who believes himself an accident.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-thompson/an-atheist-is-a-man-who-believes-himself-an-accident/) [Francis Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-thompson/) > [The average man believes a thing first, and then searches for proof to bolster his opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-average-man-believes-a-thing-first-and-then-searches-for-proof-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Faith never means gullibility. The man who believes everything is as far from God as the man who refuses to believe anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/faith-never-means-gullibility-the-man-who-believes-everything-is-as/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [Ain’t nothing a man can’t do if he believes in himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humphrey-bogart/ain-t-nothing-a-man-can-t-do-if-he-believes-in-himself/) [Humphrey Bogart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humphrey-bogart/) > [Man often becomes what he believes himself to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/man-often-becomes-what-he-believes-himself-to-be/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Man believes and lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/man-believes-and-lives/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [An extreme optimist is a man who believes that humanity will probably survive even if it doesn't take his advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccarthy/an-extreme-optimist-is-a-man-who-believes-that-humanity-will-probably/) [John McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccarthy/) > [A MAN IS ALL WHAT HE BELIEVES HIMSELF TO BE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swapnil-emperor-singh/a-man-is-all-what-he-believes-himself-to-be/) SWAPNIL EMPEROR SINGH ## More by Henry David Thoreau > [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/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Men say they know many things; But lo! they have taken wings, — The arts and sciences, And a thousand appliances; The wind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/men-say-they-know-many-things-but-lo-they-have-taken-wings-the-arts/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I am not afraid of praise, for I have practiced it on myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-am-not-afraid-of-praise-for-i-have-practiced-it-on-myself/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“All voting is a sort of gaming, like checkers or back gammon, with a slight moral tinge to it, a playing with right and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/all-voting-is-a-sort-of-gaming-like-checkers-or-back-gammon-with-a/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“This spending of the best part of one's life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/this-spending-of-the-best-part-of-one-s-life-earning-money-in-order/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [As for doing good; that is one of the professions which is full. Moreover I have tried it fairly and, strange as it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-for-doing-good-that-is-one-of-the-professions-which-is-full/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [A traveler who looks at things with an impartial eye may see what the oldest inhabitant has not observed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-traveler-who-looks-at-things-with-an-impartial-eye-may-see-what-the/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [In proportion as our inward life fails, we go more constantly and desperately to the post office. You may depend on it, that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/in-proportion-as-our-inward-life-fails-we-go-more-constantly-and/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-had-three-chairs-in-my-house-one-for-solitude-two-for-friendship/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The still youthful energies of the globe have only to be directed in their proper channel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-still-youthful-energies-of-the-globe-have-only-to-be-directed-in/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Concord's little arch does not span all our fate, nor is what transpires under it law for the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/concord-s-little-arch-does-not-span-all-our-fate-nor-is-what/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The lumberers rarely trouble themselves to put out their fires, such is the dampness of the primitive forest; and this is one cause, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/the-lumberers-rarely-trouble-themselves-to-put-out-their-fires-such/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life, there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities; and that is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/when-he-has-obtained-those-things-which-are-necessary-to-life-there/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) [Explore all 3,376 Henry David Thoreau quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [The truth seems to be that propaganda on its own cannot force its way into unwilling minds; neither can it inculcate something wholly new;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/the-truth-seems-to-be-that-propaganda-on-its-own-cannot-force-its-way/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing. Keep hoping; keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If a man believes and expects great things of himself, it makes no odds where you put him, or what you show him . . he will be surrounded by grandeur.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry David Thoreau" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-things-of-himself-it-makes-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Believe" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-things-of-himself-it-makes-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-thin_3100279.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-thin_3100279.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d22/henry-david-thoreau-20_believe_if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-thin_3100279.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If a man believes and expects great things of himself, it makes no odds where you put him, or what you show…” — Henry David Thoreau", "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": "Henry David Thoreau", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If a man believes and expects...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-things-of-himself-it-makes-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/if-a-man-believes-and-expects-great-things-of-himself-it-makes-no/#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 } } ] } ```