--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ordinary man is involved in action…" description: "\"The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference.\" — Henry Miller" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/henry-miller-179_action_the-ordinary-man-is-involved-in-action-t_386352.jpg" --- # The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An… ![“The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference.” quote by Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/henry-miller-179_action_the-ordinary-man-is-involved-in-action-t_386352.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/henry-miller-179_action_the-ordinary-man-is-involved-in-action-t_386352.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14a/henry-miller-179_action_the-ordinary-man-is-involved-in-action-t_386352.jpg) > “The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. An immense difference.” [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ordinary people act, while heroes take decisive, purposeful action that defines them. **In simple terms:** Heroes act beyond the ordinary. Key Takeaway Embrace decisive action. Themes heroism action identity Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - personal challenges - career moves - social activism Key Concepts philosophy psychology Questions to Reflect On - What does heroism mean to you? - When can you act heroically? A Different Perspective Heroic action may involve risk and sacrifice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Action hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action-hero/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Hero Acts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero-acts-3494630/) [Immense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/immense/) [Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/involved/) [Man Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-involved-2966066/) [Ordinary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary/) [Ordinary man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ordinary-man/) ## Related quotes > [Where the whole man is involved there is no work. Work begins with the divisionof labor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-mcluhan/where-the-whole-man-is-involved-there-is-no-work-work-begins-with-the/) [Marshall McLuhan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-mcluhan/) > [Reading just had a great five-man move that involved everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-thompson/reading-just-had-a-great-five-man-move-that-involved-everyone/) [Phil Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-thompson/) > [A man is involved in life, leaves his impress on it, and outside of that there is nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/a-man-is-involved-in-life-leaves-his-impress-on-it-and-outside-of/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [It's a fun world to exist in, and I relish doing those movies as much as I do the smaller ones. They're always immense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-pegg/it-s-a-fun-world-to-exist-in-and-i-relish-doing-those-movies-as-much/) [Simon Pegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-pegg/) > [Choice word and measured phrase above the reach Of ordinary men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wordsworth/choice-word-and-measured-phrase-above-the-reach-of-ordinary-men/) [William Wordsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wordsworth/) > [It is frequently the tragedy of the great artist, as it is of the great scientist, that he frightens the ordinary man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loren-eiseley/it-is-frequently-the-tragedy-of-the-great-artist-as-it-is-of-the/) [Loren Eiseley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loren-eiseley/) > [To consider oneself different from ordinary men is wrong, but it is right to hope that one will not remain like ordinary men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yoshida-shoin/to-consider-oneself-different-from-ordinary-men-is-wrong-but-it-is/) [Yoshida Shoin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yoshida-shoin/) > [The taste for glory can make ordinary men behave in extraordinary ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahir-shah/the-taste-for-glory-can-make-ordinary-men-behave-in-extraordinary-ways/) [Tahir Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahir-shah/) > [ the ordinary man's experience is chaotic, irregular, fragmentary. \[He\] falls in love or reads Spinoza, and these two experiences have nothing to do with… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/the-ordinary-man-s-experience-is-chaotic-irregular-fragmentary-he/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in. and the best of me is diligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/that-which-ordinary-men-are-fit-for-i-am-qualified-in-and-the-best-of/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [For the ordinary man, whose mind is a checkerboard of crisscrossing reflections, opinions, and prejudices, bare attention is virtually impossible; his life is thus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kapleau/for-the-ordinary-man-whose-mind-is-a-checkerboard-of-crisscrossing/) [Philip Kapleau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kapleau/) > [I'm just an ordinary man. I get tired.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakii-retondo/i-m-just-an-ordinary-man-i-get-tired/) [Rakii Retondo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakii-retondo/) > [Genius... is the capacity to see ten things where the ordinary man sees one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/genius-is-the-capacity-to-see-ten-things-where-the-ordinary-man-sees/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [He was the most ordinary man in all the world, and yet in her memory he'd become luminous, like the prince in a fairy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-strayed/he-was-the-most-ordinary-man-in-all-the-world-and-yet-in-her-memory/) [Cheryl Strayed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-strayed/) > [A warrior, or any man for that matter, cannot possibly wish he were somewhere else; a warrior because he lives by challenge, an ordinary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/a-warrior-or-any-man-for-that-matter-cannot-possibly-wish-he-were/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## More by Henry Miller > [“I reached out for something to attach myself to—and I found nothing. 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It was the monotony and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/looking-back-upon-my-career-i-see-myself-as-a-person-capable-of/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [“The word in your mouth is anarchy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/the-word-in-your-mouth-is-anarchy/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) [Explore all 894 Henry Miller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. 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If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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