--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The successful men of action are not…" description: "\"The successful men of action are not sufficiently self-observant to know exactly on what their success depends.\" — Joseph Jacobs" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/joseph-jacobs-23798_action_the-successful-men-of-action-are-not-suf_946481.jpg" --- # The successful men of action are not sufficiently… ![“The successful men of action are not sufficiently self-observant to know exactly on what their success depends.” quote by Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/joseph-jacobs-23798_action_the-successful-men-of-action-are-not-suf_946481.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/joseph-jacobs-23798_action_the-successful-men-of-action-are-not-suf_946481.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b39/joseph-jacobs-23798_action_the-successful-men-of-action-are-not-suf_946481.jpg) > “The successful men of action are not sufficiently self-observant to know exactly on what their success depends.” [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often overlook the hidden factors behind their achievements. **In simple terms:** Success depends on unseen elements. Key Takeaway Identify hidden drivers of success. Themes self-awareness success humility Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career planning - leadership training - personal development Key Concepts psychology of achievement self-reflection Questions to Reflect On - What unseen factors aid your success? - Do you credit luck enough? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on self can blind one to external influences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Observant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/observant/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [The men of action are, after all, only the unconscious instruments of the men of thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heinrich-heine/the-men-of-action-are-after-all-only-the-unconscious-instruments-of/) [Heinrich Heine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heinrich-heine/) > [Few men of action have been able to make a graceful exit at the appropriate time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/few-men-of-action-have-been-able-to-make-a-graceful-exit-at-the/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [“Men of action must be led by men of virtue, else there is no honor, merely chaos and barbarism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-craddock/men-of-action-must-be-led-by-men-of-virtue-else-there-is-no-honor/) [Curtis Craddock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-craddock/) > [Men of thought seldom work well together, whereas between men of action there is usually an easy camaraderie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/men-of-thought-seldom-work-well-together-whereas-between-men-of/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [Men of action, above all those whose actions are guided by love, live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/men-of-action-above-all-those-whose-actions-are-guided-by-love-live/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [“We are men of action. Lies do not become us. -- Westley”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/we-are-men-of-action-lies-do-not-become-us-westley/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [Great men of action... never mind on occasion being ridiculous; in a sense it is part of their job, and at times they all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-mosley/great-men-of-action-never-mind-on-occasion-being-ridiculous-in-a/) [Oswald Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-mosley/) > [Thinkers too often disparage men of action in ways that do them no credit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/thinkers-too-often-disparage-men-of-action-in-ways-that-do-them-no/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Men of ideas and men of action have much to learn from each other, and the truly great are men of both action and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-donovan/men-of-ideas-and-men-of-action-have-much-to-learn-from-each-other-and/) [Jack Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-donovan/) > [Deliberation is the work of many men. Action, of one alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-gaulle/deliberation-is-the-work-of-many-men-action-of-one-alone/) [Charles de Gaulle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-gaulle/) > [The true men of action in our time, those who transform the world, are not the politicians and statesmen, but the scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/the-true-men-of-action-in-our-time-those-who-transform-the-world-are/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [The dreamers ride against the men of action. Oh see the men of action falling back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-dreamers-ride-against-the-men-of-action-oh-see-the-men-of-action/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Men of action," whose minds are too busy with the day's work to see beyond it. They are essential men, we cannot do without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/men-of-action-whose-minds-are-too-busy-with-the-day-s-work-to-see/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Men of action usually win - that is one of their distinctive features.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/men-of-action-usually-win-that-is-one-of-their-distinctive-features/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [Brethren, do something; do something, do something! While societies and unions make constitutions, let us win souls. I pray you, be men of action…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/brethren-do-something-do-something-do-something-while-societies-and/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) ## More by Joseph Jacobs > [In 1893, Miss M. Roalfe Cox brought together, in a volume of the Folk-Lore Society, no less than 345 variants of 'Cinderella' and kindred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/in-1893-miss-m-roalfe-cox-brought-together-in-a-volume-of-the-folk/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [“Then she took the heart and liver of the little girl, and she stewed them and brought them into the house for supper. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/then-she-took-the-heart-and-liver-of-the-little-girl-and-she-stewed/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [The Celtic folk-tales have been collected while the practice of story-telling is still in full vigour, though there is every sign that its term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/the-celtic-folk-tales-have-been-collected-while-the-practice-of-story/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [The great problems of the Twentieth century will have immediate relation to the discoveries of America, of Africa, and of Australia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/the-great-problems-of-the-twentieth-century-will-have-immediate/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [Soils and national characters differ, but fairy tales are the same in plot and incidents, if not in treatment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/soils-and-national-characters-differ-but-fairy-tales-are-the-same-in/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [Obscure as still remains the origin of that 'genre' of romance to which the tales before us belong, there is little doubt that their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/obscure-as-still-remains-the-origin-of-that-genre-of-romance-to-which/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [Certainly there is abundant evidence of the early transmission by literary means of a considerable number of drolls and folk-tales from India about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/certainly-there-is-abundant-evidence-of-the-early-transmission-by/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [Nowhere else is there so large and consistent a body of oral tradition about the national and mythical heroes as amongst the Gaels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/nowhere-else-is-there-so-large-and-consistent-a-body-of-oral/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [Every place but that in which one is born is equally strange and wondrous. Once beyond the bounds of the city walls, and none…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/every-place-but-that-in-which-one-is-born-is-equally-strange-and/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [One might almost say that the history of geographical discovery, properly so called, begins with Captain Cook, the motive of whose voyages was purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/one-might-almost-say-that-the-history-of-geographical-discovery/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [Children, and sometimes those of larger growth, will not read dialect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/children-and-sometimes-those-of-larger-growth-will-not-read-dialect/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [The first two crusades brought the flower of European chivalry to Constantinople and restored that spiritual union between Eastern and Western Christendom that had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/the-first-two-crusades-brought-the-flower-of-european-chivalry-to/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [Forgiveness is the highest and most difficult of all moral lessons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/forgiveness-is-the-highest-and-most-difficult-of-all-moral-lessons/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [The words 'fairy tales' must accordingly be taken to include tales in which occurs something 'fairy,' something extraordinary - fairies, giants, dwarfs, speaking animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/the-words-fairy-tales-must-accordingly-be-taken-to-include-tales-in/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) > [The fate of the Celt in the British Empire bids fair to resemble that of the Greeks among the Romans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-jacobs/the-fate-of-the-celt-in-the-british-empire-bids-fair-to-resemble-that/) [Joseph Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) [Explore all 25 Joseph Jacobs quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-jacobs/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. 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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