---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we do not know a person - and also…"
description: "\"When we do not know a person - and also when we do - we have to judge his size by the size and nature of his achievements, as compared with the achieve..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/mark-twain-22_achievement_when-we-do-not-know-a-person-and-also-wh_3108744.png"
---

#  When we do not know a person - and also when we do - we…

![“When we do not know a person - and also when we do - we have to judge his size by the size and nature of his achievements, as compared with the achievements of others in his special line of business - there is no other way.” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/mark-twain-22_achievement_when-we-do-not-know-a-person-and-also-wh_3108744.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/mark-twain-22_achievement_when-we-do-not-know-a-person-and-also-wh_3108744.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1bb/mark-twain-22_achievement_when-we-do-not-know-a-person-and-also-wh_3108744.png)

> “When we do not know a person - and also when we do - we have to judge his size by the size and nature of his achievements, as compared with the achievements of others in his special line of business - there is no other way.”

[Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Judgment of a person should be based on the magnitude and nature of their achievements relative to peers in the same field.

**In simple terms:** Judge people by achievements compared to peers in their field.

Key Takeaway

Assess success by relative achievements.

Themes

judgment achievement comparison fairness career

Mood

analytical critical

Type

philosophical professional

When to use this quote

- performance reviews
- career advancement
- peer comparison

Key Concepts

ethics performance metrics social evaluation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you account for differing opportunities?
- When is comparison unfair?

A Different Perspective

Comparing achievements may ignore context and individual circumstances.

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[Achievement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievement/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/)

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## More by Mark Twain

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