--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is nothing man desires more than a…" description: "\"There is nothing man desires more than a heroic life: there is nothing less common to men than heroism.\" — Jacques Maritain" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/jacques-maritain-8918_common_there-is-nothing-man-desires-more-than-a_1706507.jpg" --- # There is nothing man desires more than a heroic life… ![“There is nothing man desires more than a heroic life: there is nothing less common to men than heroism.” quote by Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/jacques-maritain-8918_common_there-is-nothing-man-desires-more-than-a_1706507.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/jacques-maritain-8918_common_there-is-nothing-man-desires-more-than-a_1706507.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a99/jacques-maritain-8918_common_there-is-nothing-man-desires-more-than-a_1706507.jpg) > “There is nothing man desires more than a heroic life: there is nothing less common to men than heroism.” [Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Heroic aspirations are universal, yet true heroism is rare. **In simple terms:** Everyone wants heroism, but it’s uncommon. Key Takeaway Cultivate humble, everyday heroism. Themes heroism human nature aspiration Mood inspirational reflective Type ethical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - leadership - personal challenges Key Concepts ethics existentialism Questions to Reflect On - What small acts count as heroism? - How can you live heroically daily? A Different Perspective Idealizing heroism may cause disappointment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Heroic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroic/) [Heroism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heroism/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) ## Related quotes > [Our media provides a continuing message that for men, heroism is defined through association with control, independence, and the ability to commit violence, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deeyah-khan/our-media-provides-a-continuing-message-that-for-men-heroism-is/) [Deeyah Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deeyah-khan/) > [Follow your bliss. The heroic life is living the individual adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/follow-your-bliss-the-heroic-life-is-living-the-individual-adventure/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [In a truly heroic life there is no peradventure. It is always doing or dying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/in-a-truly-heroic-life-there-is-no-peradventure-it-is-always-doing-or/) [Roswell Dwight Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roswell-dwight-hitchcock/) > [I've always felt heroic about my life... As a child, I remember little girls in the playground moaning about how boys could do more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivienne-westwood/i-ve-always-felt-heroic-about-my-life-as-a-child-i-remember-little/) [Vivienne Westwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivienne-westwood/) > [It is impossible to strive for the heroic life. The title of hero is bestowed by the survivors upon the fallen, who themselves know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johan-huizinga/it-is-impossible-to-strive-for-the-heroic-life-the-title-of-hero-is/) [Johan Huizinga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johan-huizinga/) > [Follow your bliss. The heroic life is living the individual adventure. There is no security in following the call to adventure. Nothing is exciting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/follow-your-bliss-the-heroic-life-is-living-the-individual-adventure-2/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) > [A happy life is impos­si­ble; the best that a man can attain is a heroic life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/a-happy-life-is-impos-si-ble-the-best-that-a-man-can-attain-is-a/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“It can come a bit hard sometimes to see one's own unique, heroic life pinned so pitilessly to a wall. At other times it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/it-can-come-a-bit-hard-sometimes-to-see-one-s-own-unique-heroic-life/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“I am a man who would live an heroic life and make the world more endurable in his own sight. If, in some moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/i-am-a-man-who-would-live-an-heroic-life-and-make-the-world-more/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [Enthusiasm springs from the imagination, and self-sacrifice from the heart. Women are, therefore, more naturally heroic than men. All nations have in their annals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alphonse-de-lamartine/enthusiasm-springs-from-the-imagination-and-self-sacrifice-from-the/) [Alphonse de Lamartine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alphonse-de-lamartine/) > [“You are a Hero. Be Heroic. Always.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vineet-raj-kapoor/you-are-a-hero-be-heroic-always/) [Vineet Raj Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vineet-raj-kapoor/) > [The heroic man does not pose; he leaves that for the man who wishes to be thought heroic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-heroic-man-does-not-pose-he-leaves-that-for-the-man-who-wishes-to/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to become heroes over night. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-roosevelt/courage-is-more-exhilarating-than-fear-and-in-the-long-run-it-is/) [Eleanor Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-roosevelt/) > [“Finally Marcus stepped forward. "If you insist on going through me to get him, it's your call. But I warn you, I will probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wells/finally-marcus-stepped-forward-if-you-insist-on-going-through-me-to/) [Dan Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-wells/) > [Heroism feels and never reasons, and therefore is always right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/heroism-feels-and-never-reasons-and-therefore-is-always-right/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Jacques Maritain > [It has never been recommended to confuse "loving" with "seeking to please"... ...Salome pleased Herod's guests; I can hardly believe she was burning with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-maritain/it-has-never-been-recommended-to-confuse-loving-with-seeking-to/) [Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/) > [A great philosopher in the wrong is like a beacon on the reefs which says to seamen: steer clear of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-maritain/a-great-philosopher-in-the-wrong-is-like-a-beacon-on-the-reefs-which/) [Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/) > [I don't see America as a mainland, but as a sea, a big ocean. 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Because poetry emanates from the free creativity of the spirit,it is from the very start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-maritain/poetic-experience-is-distinct-in-nature-from-mystical-experience/) [Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/) > [We do not need a truth to serve us, we need a truth that we can serve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-maritain/we-do-not-need-a-truth-to-serve-us-we-need-a-truth-that-we-can-serve/) [Jacques Maritain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/) [Explore all 76 Jacques Maritain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-maritain/) ## More Common quotes > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [A flourishing, morally credible media is a vital component in the maintenance of genuinely public talk, argument about common good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-williams/a-flourishing-morally-credible-media-is-a-vital-component-in-the/) [Rowan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-williams/) > [We find few historians who have been diligent enough in their search for truth; it is their common method to take on trust what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dryden/we-find-few-historians-who-have-been-diligent-enough-in-their-search/) [John Dryden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dryden/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. 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