--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Lofty posts make great men greater still…" description: "\"Lofty posts make great men greater still, and small men much smaller.\" — Jean de la Bruyere" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_great-men_lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still_1566736.png" --- # Lofty posts make great men greater still, and small men… ![“Lofty posts make great men greater still, and small men much smaller.” quote by Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_great-men_lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still_1566736.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_great-men_lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still_1566736.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_great-men_lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still_1566736.png) > “Lofty posts make great men greater still, and small men much smaller.” [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Excessive praise can inflate the powerful and diminish the modest, reinforcing social hierarchies. **In simple terms:** Praising the powerful makes them more powerful, and the weak weaker. Key Takeaway Be mindful of how you elevate others. Themes pride social hierarchy ego Mood reflective critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - leadership meetings - public speaking - social media commentary - team recognition Key Concepts flattery status dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does praise affect power dynamics? - When is humility more effective than flattery? A Different Perspective Overpraise may breed complacency or resentment. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Lofty Posts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lofty-posts-5889688/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-greater-1304227/) [Men Smaller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-smaller-1471501/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Small Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-men-416062/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) ## Related quotes > [A tall, well-built man with a deep chest and broad shoulders can carry a heavy burden with ease and unconcern, and still keep one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-tall-well-built-man-with-a-deep-chest-and-broad-shoulders-can-carry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I guess there are some women who like older men, but it's a smaller group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-douglas/i-guess-there-are-some-women-who-like-older-men-but-it-s-a-smaller/) [Michael Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-douglas/) > [Genius is the union of man and God in the acts of the soul. Great men are always greater than their deeds. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/genius-is-the-union-of-man-and-god-in-the-acts-of-the-soul-great-men/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [What is common to many is least taken care of, for all men have greater regard for what is their own than what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/what-is-common-to-many-is-least-taken-care-of-for-all-men-have/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-mckendree-bounds/talking-to-men-for-god-is-a-great-thing-but-talking-to-god-for-men-is-2/) [Edward McKendree Bounds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-mckendree-bounds/) > [We rob men of a greater vision of God because we will not give them a lower vision of themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/we-rob-men-of-a-greater-vision-of-god-because-we-will-not-give-them-a/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [“Preparatory men. I welcome all signs that a more manly, a warlike, age is about to begin, an age which, above all, will give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/preparatory-men-i-welcome-all-signs-that-a-more-manly-a-warlike-age/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still. He will never talk well and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/talking-to-men-for-god-is-a-great-thing-but-talking-to-god-for-men-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The fewer men, the greater share of honor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-fewer-men-the-greater-share-of-honor/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men, the greater share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-we-are-mark-d-to-die-we-are-enow-to-do-our-country-loss-and-if-to/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If we must live with a perpetual sense that the world and the men in it are greater than we and too much for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-robert-oppenheimer/if-we-must-live-with-a-perpetual-sense-that-the-world-and-the-men-in/) [J. Robert Oppenheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-robert-oppenheimer/) > [“Pendants have for two thousand years reiterated the notion that women have a more lively spirit, men more solidity; that women have more delicacy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/pendants-have-for-two-thousand-years-reiterated-the-notion-that-women/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [No business, no movement, no activity on the part of man or a group of men can become any greater than the thinking minds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-spencer-lewis/no-business-no-movement-no-activity-on-the-part-of-man-or-a-group-of/) [Harvey Spencer Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-spencer-lewis/) > [Though in the order of nature angels rank above men, yet, by scale of justice, good men are of greater value than bad angels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-augustine/though-in-the-order-of-nature-angels-rank-above-men-yet-by-scale-of/) [Saint Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-augustine/) > [If we are marked to die, we are enough to do our country loss; and if to live, the fewer men, the greater share…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-we-are-marked-to-die-we-are-enough-to-do-our-country-loss-and-if/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by Jean de la Bruyere > [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The unfaithful woman, if she is known for such by the person concerned, is only unfaithful. If she is thought faithful, she is perfidious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-unfaithful-woman-if-she-is-known-for-such-by-the-person-concerned/) [Jean De La Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Some people pretend they never were in love and never wrote poetry; two weaknesses which they dare not own -- one of the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/some-people-pretend-they-never-were-in-love-and-never-wrote-poetry/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [How much wit, good-nature, indulgences, how many good offices and civilities, are required among friends to accomplish in some years what a lovely face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/how-much-wit-good-nature-indulgences-how-many-good-offices-and/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man starts upon a sudden, takes Pen, Ink, and Paper, and without ever having had a thought of it before, resolves within himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-starts-upon-a-sudden-takes-pen-ink-and-paper-and-without-ever/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Born merely for the purpose of digestion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/born-merely-for-the-purpose-of-digestion/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [A man of variable mind is not one man, but several men in one; he multiplies himself as often as he changes his taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-man-of-variable-mind-is-not-one-man-but-several-men-in-one-he/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [He who knows how to wait for what he desires does not feel very desperate if he fails in obtaining it; and he, on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/he-who-knows-how-to-wait-for-what-he-desires-does-not-feel-very/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [The court is like a palace built of marble; I mean that it is made up of very hard but very polished people. \[Fr.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/the-court-is-like-a-palace-built-of-marble-i-mean-that-it-is-made-up/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Grief that is dazed and speechless is out of fashion: the modern woman mourns her husband loudly and tells you the whole story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/grief-that-is-dazed-and-speechless-is-out-of-fashion-the-modern-woman/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Every hour in itself, as it respects us in particular, is the only one we can call our own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/every-hour-in-itself-as-it-respects-us-in-particular-is-the-only-one/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [To express truth is to write naturally, forcibly, and delicately.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/to-express-truth-is-to-write-naturally-forcibly-and-delicately/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [We perceive wen love begins and wen it declines by our embarrassment when alone together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/we-perceive-wen-love-begins-and-wen-it-declines-by-our-embarrassment/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [I call those men worldly, earthly, or coarse, whose hearts and minds are wholly fixed on this earth, that small part of the universe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-call-those-men-worldly-earthly-or-coarse-whose-hearts-and-minds-are/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) [Explore all 464 Jean de la Bruyere quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More Great men quotes > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [“You are destiny for greatness. Your future is in the hands of the Lord.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/you-are-destiny-for-greatness-your-future-is-in-the-hands-of-the-lord/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Great men don't 'move to the center' - great men move the center!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/great-men-don-t-move-to-the-center-great-men-move-the-center/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/power-tends-to-corrupt-and-absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely-great/) [John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-emerich-edward-dalberg-acton/) > [“The origins of great companies inevitably start with the ideas and enterprise of great men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-scott/the-origins-of-great-companies-inevitably-start-with-the-ideas-and/) [Bill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-scott/) > [A wholesome regard for the memory of the great men of long ago is the best assurance to a people of a continuation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-coolidge/a-wholesome-regard-for-the-memory-of-the-great-men-of-long-ago-is-the/) [Calvin Coolidge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-coolidge/) > [My father was a really great man. I'll never forget the last thing he ever said to me. Nor will I ever repeat it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-s-hall/my-father-was-a-really-great-man-i-ll-never-forget-the-last-thing-he/) [John S. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-s-hall/) > [I ruined my hands in the ring. The referee kept stepping on them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hope/i-ruined-my-hands-in-the-ring-the-referee-kept-stepping-on-them/) [Bob Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hope/) > [No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sadder-proof-can-be-given-by-a-man-of-his-own-littleness-than/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [First at the outset, let me commend the great men and women of the United States Coast Guard for what they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vito-fossella/first-at-the-outset-let-me-commend-the-great-men-and-women-of-the/) [Vito Fossella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vito-fossella/) > [Greatness by nature includes a power, but not a will to power. ... The great man, whether we comprehend him in the most intense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/greatness-by-nature-includes-a-power-but-not-a-will-to-power-the/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [“Pretty girls lie at the centre of straight culture, dyke culture, fag culture. They sell everything, they buy everything, they ruin great men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/pretty-girls-lie-at-the-centre-of-straight-culture-dyke-culture-fag/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [If you're early on in your career and they give you a choice between a great mentor or higher pay, take the mentor every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-druckenmiller/if-you-re-early-on-in-your-career-and-they-give-you-a-choice-between/) [Stanley Druckenmiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-druckenmiller/) > [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) [Browse all 1,454 Great men quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Lofty posts make great men greater still, and small men much smaller.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jean de la Bruyere" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still-and-small-men-much-smaller/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great men" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still-and-small-men-much-smaller/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_great-men_lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still_1566736.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_great-men_lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still_1566736.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/70d/jean-de-la-bruyere-575_great-men_lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still_1566736.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Lofty posts make great men greater still, and small men much smaller.” — Jean de la Bruyere", "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": "Jean de la Bruyere", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Lofty posts make great men greater...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still-and-small-men-much-smaller/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/lofty-posts-make-great-men-greater-still-and-small-men-much-smaller/#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 } } ] } ```