--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great men are necessary for our life, in…" description: "\"Great men are necessary for our life, in order that the movement of world history can free itself sporadically, by fits and starts, from obsolete ways ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/jacob-burckhardt-27446_fit_great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in_280238.jpg" --- # Great men are necessary for our life, in order that the… ![“Great men are necessary for our life, in order that the movement of world history can free itself sporadically, by fits and starts, from obsolete ways of living and inconsequential talk.” quote by Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/jacob-burckhardt-27446_fit_great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in_280238.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/jacob-burckhardt-27446_fit_great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in_280238.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/jacob-burckhardt-27446_fit_great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in_280238.jpg) > “Great men are necessary for our life, in order that the movement of world history can free itself sporadically, by fits and starts, from obsolete ways of living and inconsequential talk.” [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great individuals spark historical change, but progress is uneven and often disrupted by outdated habits. **In simple terms:** Great people drive history, but change is messy. Key Takeaway Embrace both leaders and gradual reform. Themes history leadership change Mood thoughtful analytical Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - political reform - cultural shifts - educational innovation Key Concepts philosophy social dynamics progress Questions to Reflect On - Who truly shapes history? - How can societies avoid stagnation? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on individuals may ignore collective effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Inconsequential](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inconsequential/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-necessary-544380/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Necessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary/) [Necessary Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessary-life-330632/) [Obsolete](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsolete/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Our lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-lives/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-history/) ## Related quotes > [Dreams are necessary to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/dreams-are-necessary-to-life/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [As a matter of fact we have to take special precautions during a battle to post police, to prevent more unwounded men than are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-haig-1st-earl-haig/as-a-matter-of-fact-we-have-to-take-special-precautions-during-a/) [Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-haig-1st-earl-haig/) > [The exertions that men find it necessary to make, in order to support themselves or families, frequently awaken faculties that might otherwise have lain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/the-exertions-that-men-find-it-necessary-to-make-in-order-to-support/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [For men, it's necessary to push aside that marvelous ego that tells you that you are all knowing and capable, and see that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/for-men-it-s-necessary-to-push-aside-that-marvelous-ego-that-tells/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Major actions by courageous and wise men will be necessary to avoid our continuing to blunder into the space age like unenlightened and selfish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fritz-zwicky/major-actions-by-courageous-and-wise-men-will-be-necessary-to-avoid/) [Fritz Zwicky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fritz-zwicky/) > [All the excesses, all the violence, and all the vanity of great men, come from the fact that they know not what they are:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/all-the-excesses-all-the-violence-and-all-the-vanity-of-great-men/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) > [Histories of the world omitted China; if a Chinaman invented compass or movable type or gunpowder we promptly "forgot it" and named their European…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/histories-of-the-world-omitted-china-if-a-chinaman-invented-compass/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [It frequently happens that an element of the standard of living which set out with being primarily wasteful, ends with becoming, in the apprehension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thorstein-veblen/it-frequently-happens-that-an-element-of-the-standard-of-living-which/) [Thorstein Veblen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thorstein-veblen/) > [Perhaps if one really knew when one was happy one would know the things that were necessary in one's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-milner/perhaps-if-one-really-knew-when-one-was-happy-one-would-know-the/) [Marion Milner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-milner/) > [“The one thing necessary in life, as in art is to tell the truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-one-thing-necessary-in-life-as-in-art-is-to-tell-the-truth/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Ignorance and error are necessary to life, like bread and water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/ignorance-and-error-are-necessary-to-life-like-bread-and-water/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [That lies should be necessary to life is part and parcel of the terrible and questionable character of existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/that-lies-should-be-necessary-to-life-is-part-and-parcel-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Some desire is necessary to keep life in motion, and he whose real wants are suppliedmust admit those of fancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/some-desire-is-necessary-to-keep-life-in-motion-and-he-whose-real/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [“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/) > [“Money is necessary in everyone's life. Why? Only because people have decided that it should be. It didn't have to be the way that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashly-lorenzana/money-is-necessary-in-everyone-s-life-why-only-because-people-have/) [Ashly Lorenzana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashly-lorenzana/) ## More by Jacob Burckhardt > [To each eye, perhaps, the outlines of a great civilization present a different picture. In the wide ocean upon which we venture, the possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/to-each-eye-perhaps-the-outlines-of-a-great-civilization-present-a/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/the-essence-of-tyranny-is-the-denial-of-complexity/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [Only a fairy tale calls a constant condition 'happiness'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/only-a-fairy-tale-calls-a-constant-condition-happiness/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [The seventeenth century is everywhere a time in which the state's power over everything individual increases, whether that power be in absolutist hands or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/the-seventeenth-century-is-everywhere-a-time-in-which-the-state-s/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [The biggest mischief in the past century has been perpetrated by Rousseau with his doctrine of the goodness of human nature. The mob and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/the-biggest-mischief-in-the-past-century-has-been-perpetrated-by/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [There might be a fact of the greatest significance reported by Thucydides which will only be recognized as such a hundred years from now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/there-might-be-a-fact-of-the-greatest-significance-reported-by/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [History is on every occasion the record of that which one age finds worthy of note in another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/history-is-on-every-occasion-the-record-of-that-which-one-age-finds/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [The state incurs debts for politics, war, and other higher causes and 'progress'. . . . The assumption is that the future will honour…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/the-state-incurs-debts-for-politics-war-and-other-higher-causes-and/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [True universality does not consist in knowing much but in loving much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/true-universality-does-not-consist-in-knowing-much-but-in-loving-much/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [Neither in the life of the individual nor in that of mankind is it desirable to know the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/neither-in-the-life-of-the-individual-nor-in-that-of-mankind-is-it/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [Power is of its nature evil, whoever wields it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/power-is-of-its-nature-evil-whoever-wields-it/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [Only the fairy tale equates changelessness with happiness...Permanence means paralysis and death. Only, in movement, with all its pain, is life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/only-the-fairy-tale-equates-changelessness-with-happiness-permanence/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [The more recently power has originated, the less it can remain stationary - first because those who created it have become accustomed to rapid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/the-more-recently-power-has-originated-the-less-it-can-remain/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [In history the way of annihilation is invariably prepared by inward degeneration, by decrease of life. Only then can a shock from outside put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/in-history-the-way-of-annihilation-is-invariably-prepared-by-inward/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) > [“Nothing in the world is better suited to laziness than orthodoxy. If you gag your mouth, stop up your ears and put a blinder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/nothing-in-the-world-is-better-suited-to-laziness-than-orthodoxy-if/) [Jacob Burckhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) [Explore all 18 Jacob Burckhardt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/) ## More Fit quotes > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) > [Got those moods a swinging, tears a slinging, nothing fits me, when it hits me, ranting, raving, misbehaving, PMS blues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/got-those-moods-a-swinging-tears-a-slinging-nothing-fits-me-when-it/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I remember my friend Johnny von Neumann used to say, 'with four parameters I can fit an elephant and with five I can make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enrico-fermi/i-remember-my-friend-johnny-von-neumann-used-to-say-with-four/) [Enrico Fermi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enrico-fermi/) > [Your head's like mine, like all our heads; big enough to contain every god and devil there ever was. Big enough to hold the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grant-morrison/your-head-s-like-mine-like-all-our-heads-big-enough-to-contain-every/) [Grant Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grant-morrison/) > [There's a place in Botswana where there are 100,000 elephants living in a single population. Think of the amount of space they need. Remember,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-bergin/there-s-a-place-in-botswana-where-there-are-100-000-elephants-living/) [Patrick Bergin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-bergin/) > [Being fit is the easiest part of being a dance professional. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-du-beke/being-fit-is-the-easiest-part-of-being-a-dance-professional-i-used-to/) [Anton du Beke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-du-beke/) > [Success will not be yours unless you measure your dream. And guess what? Once you have measured it, people will say it's too big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-leon/success-will-not-be-yours-unless-you-measure-your-dream-and-guess/) [Francisco Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-leon/) > [Some women are meant to change the world, while others are meant to hold it together. And then there are those of us who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/some-women-are-meant-to-change-the-world-while-others-are-meant-to/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [I kind of pride myself on coming onto things that are well-oiled machines and finding a way to bring what I bring and fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-lowe/i-kind-of-pride-myself-on-coming-onto-things-that-are-well-oiled/) [Rob Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-lowe/) > [I always knew that I was kind of bored; the regular life of a child didn't fit me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-ricci/i-always-knew-that-i-was-kind-of-bored-the-regular-life-of-a-child/) [Christina Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-ricci/) > [I've been in real estate for a long time and I always try to stay on the edge. I'm really excited about the partnership…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mc-hammer/i-ve-been-in-real-estate-for-a-long-time-and-i-always-try-to-stay-on/) [MC Hammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mc-hammer/) > [Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/progress-should-mean-that-we-are-always-changing-the-world-to-fit-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [What begins as a Utopian vision, always - always - ends in bloodshed. Because you have to force a utopia on a free people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/what-begins-as-a-utopian-vision-always-always-ends-in-bloodshed/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) [Browse all 4,437 Fit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Great men are necessary for our life, in order that the movement of world history can free itself sporadically, by fits and starts, from obsolete ways of living and inconsequential talk.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacob Burckhardt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in-order-that-the-movement-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in-order-that-the-movement-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/jacob-burckhardt-27446_fit_great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in_280238.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/jacob-burckhardt-27446_fit_great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in_280238.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e5/jacob-burckhardt-27446_fit_great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in_280238.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Great men are necessary for our life, in order that the movement of world history can free itself…” — Jacob Burckhardt", "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": "Jacob Burckhardt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-burckhardt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Great men are necessary for our...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in-order-that-the-movement-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-burckhardt/great-men-are-necessary-for-our-life-in-order-that-the-movement-of/#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 } } ] } ```