--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Man with the great M is only an ideal…" description: "\"Man with the great M is only an ideal, the species only something thought of.\" — Max Stirner" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/max-stirner-6556_ideal_man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-th_2645217.jpg" --- # Man with the great M is only an ideal, the species only… ![“Man with the great M is only an ideal, the species only something thought of.” quote by Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/max-stirner-6556_ideal_man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-th_2645217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/max-stirner-6556_ideal_man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-th_2645217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/max-stirner-6556_ideal_man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-th_2645217.jpg) > “Man with the great M is only an ideal, the species only something thought of.” [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ideal concepts exist only as mental constructs, not as tangible realities. **In simple terms:** Ideas are mental, not real. Key Takeaway Question your assumptions. Themes philosophy reality idealism Mood analytical critical Type philosophical theoretical When to use this quote - political theory - personal belief systems Key Concepts existentialism constructivism Questions to Reflect On - Do you treat ideas as facts? - Can ideals shape actions? A Different Perspective Ideas may influence behavior despite being intangible. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great Ideal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-ideal-2302851/) [Ideal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideal/) [Ideal Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideal-species-2302849/) [Ideals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideals/) [Man Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-great/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Species](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species/) [Species Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/species-thought-2302850/) ## Related quotes > [What distinguishes our species is thought. The cerebral cortex is in a way a liberation. We need no longer be trapped in the genetically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/what-distinguishes-our-species-is-thought-the-cerebral-cortex-is-in-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Sometimes I wonder if there's things we'll never explain. You know, like, you know, what if we did answer all the questions? You know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-caboose/sometimes-i-wonder-if-there-s-things-we-ll-never-explain-you-know/) [Michael J Caboose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-caboose/) > [“{ On to contributions to evolutionary biology of 18th century French scientist, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon } He was not an evolutionary biologist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernst-mayr/on-to-contributions-to-evolutionary-biology-of-18th-century-french/) [Ernst Mayr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernst-mayr/) > [The man is distinguished from the youth by the fact that he takes the world as it is, instead of everywhere fancying it amiss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/the-man-is-distinguished-from-the-youth-by-the-fact-that-he-takes-the/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Man, your head is haunted; you have wheels in your head! You imagine great things, and depict to yourself a whole world of gods…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/man-your-head-is-haunted-you-have-wheels-in-your-head-you-imagine/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [What can I do to become more like my Ideal Image?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bucky-sinister/what-can-i-do-to-become-more-like-my-ideal-image/) [Bucky Sinister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bucky-sinister/) > [Do not try to produce an ideal child, it would find no fitness in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/do-not-try-to-produce-an-ideal-child-it-would-find-no-fitness-in-this/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [The American ideal is, after all, that everyone should be as much alike as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/the-american-ideal-is-after-all-that-everyone-should-be-as-much-alike/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [Live for an ideal, and that one ideal alone. Let it be so great, so strong, that there may be nothing else left in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/live-for-an-ideal-and-that-one-ideal-alone-let-it-be-so-great-so/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [In many ways, a degree in the history of ideas is the ideal training for an aspiring writer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-fortier/in-many-ways-a-degree-in-the-history-of-ideas-is-the-ideal-training/) [Anne Fortier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-fortier/) > [Now is the time to lead your ideal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-cousineau/now-is-the-time-to-lead-your-ideal-life/) [Phil Cousineau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-cousineau/) > [I think in an ideal world, one would be able to do everything, however, we don't live in an ideal world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graziadei/i-think-in-an-ideal-world-one-would-be-able-to-do-everything-however/) [Michael Graziadei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graziadei/) > [All human things do require to have an ideal in them; to have some soul in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/all-human-things-do-require-to-have-an-ideal-in-them-to-have-some/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [my definition of the ideal man is 'that particular man with whom a woman happens to be in love at that particular time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/my-definition-of-the-ideal-man-is-that-particular-man-with-whom-a/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) ## More by Max Stirner > [Whoever will be free must make himself free. Freedom is no fairy gift to fall into a man's lap. What is freedom? To have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/whoever-will-be-free-must-make-himself-free-freedom-is-no-fairy-gift/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [I am all and nothing; I am not a mere thought, but at the same time I am full of thoughts, a thought-world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/i-am-all-and-nothing-i-am-not-a-mere-thought-but-at-the-same-time-i/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Only the free and personal man is a good citizen (realist), and even with the lack of particular (scholarly, artistic, etc)culture, a tasteful judge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/only-the-free-and-personal-man-is-a-good-citizen-realist-and-even/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Liberty of the people is not my liberty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/liberty-of-the-people-is-not-my-liberty/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [People is the name of the body, State of the spirit, of that ruling person that has hitherto suppressed me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/people-is-the-name-of-the-body-state-of-the-spirit-of-that-ruling/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Many a man renounces morals, but with great difficulty the conception, 'morality.' Morality is the 'idea' of morals, their intellectual power, their power over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/many-a-man-renounces-morals-but-with-great-difficulty-the-conception/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Freedom cannot be granted. It must be taken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/freedom-cannot-be-granted-it-must-be-taken/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [For what reason then do the realists show themselves so unfriendly toward philosophy? Because they misunderstand their own calling and with all their might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/for-what-reason-then-do-the-realists-show-themselves-so-unfriendly/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Every State is a despotism, be the despot one or many.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/every-state-is-a-despotism-be-the-despot-one-or-many/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Before what is sacred, people lose all sense of power and all confidence; they occupy a powerless and humble attitude toward it. And yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/before-what-is-sacred-people-lose-all-sense-of-power-and-all/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Christianity has aimed to deliver us from a life determined by nature, from the appetites as actuating us, and so has meant that man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/christianity-has-aimed-to-deliver-us-from-a-life-determined-by-nature/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [The freedom of man is, in political liberalism, freedom from persons, from personal dominion, from the master; the securing of each individual person against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/the-freedom-of-man-is-in-political-liberalism-freedom-from-persons/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Is not all the stupid chatter of most of our newspapers the babble of fools who suffer from the fixed idea of morality, legality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/is-not-all-the-stupid-chatter-of-most-of-our-newspapers-the-babble-of/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [Yes, yes, children must early be made to practise piety, godliness, and propriety; a person of good breeding is one into whom 'good maxims'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/yes-yes-children-must-early-be-made-to-practise-piety-godliness-and/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) > [We do not aspire to communal life but to a life apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/we-do-not-aspire-to-communal-life-but-to-a-life-apart/) [Max Stirner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) [Explore all 86 Max Stirner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/) ## More Ideal quotes > [An ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booth-tarkington/an-ideal-wife-is-any-woman-who-has-an-ideal-husband/) [Booth Tarkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booth-tarkington/) > [my definition of the ideal man is 'that particular man with whom a woman happens to be in love at that particular time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-boothe-luce/my-definition-of-the-ideal-man-is-that-particular-man-with-whom-a/) [Clare Boothe Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-boothe-luce/) > [The end result of how I obviously departed from the Cubs wasn't ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-schwarber/the-end-result-of-how-i-obviously-departed-from-the-cubs-wasn-t-ideal/) [Kyle Schwarber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-schwarber/) > [Ideally when you set up for the first game of the season... to have put the team to bed would be the ideal situation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-villas-boas/ideally-when-you-set-up-for-the-first-game-of-the-season-to-have-put/) [Andre Villas-Boas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-villas-boas/) > [Some husbands regard it as their prerogative to compel their wives to fit their standards of what they think to be the ideal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/some-husbands-regard-it-as-their-prerogative-to-compel-their-wives-to/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [I've always worked closely with the designers and whoever's making the costumes. Comfort is the last thing you want on your mind when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristi-yamaguchi/i-ve-always-worked-closely-with-the-designers-and-whoever-s-making/) [Kristi Yamaguchi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristi-yamaguchi/) > [All human things do require to have an ideal in them; to have some soul in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/all-human-things-do-require-to-have-an-ideal-in-them-to-have-some/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [As a registered Democrat, I am praying for a credible presidential candidate to emerge from the younger tier of politicians in their late 40s.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/as-a-registered-democrat-i-am-praying-for-a-credible-presidential/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [I think in an ideal world, one would be able to do everything, however, we don't live in an ideal world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-graziadei/i-think-in-an-ideal-world-one-would-be-able-to-do-everything-however/) [Michael Graziadei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-graziadei/) > [“Let's get real about the ideal. It sucks. It doesn't represent us, and it doesn't even try to. It refuses to acknowledge that people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-jayne-crabbe/let-s-get-real-about-the-ideal-it-sucks-it-doesn-t-represent-us-and/) [Megan Jayne Crabbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-jayne-crabbe/) > [But seriously, I believe I'm a sort of Ideal Woman, if you know what I mean. I'm the sort of woman who can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-isherwood/but-seriously-i-believe-i-m-a-sort-of-ideal-woman-if-you-know-what-i/) [Christopher Isherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-isherwood/) > [“Idea lady is the ideal lady!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/idea-lady-is-the-ideal-lady/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [You can, I think, have a quiet and steady protagonist and not run the risk of terminal dullness as long as exciting things happen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-williams/you-can-i-think-have-a-quiet-and-steady-protagonist-and-not-run-the/) [Liz Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-williams/) > [Steven Gerrard is the best player I have played with throughout my career; therefore, my ideal player would be very like him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-torres/steven-gerrard-is-the-best-player-i-have-played-with-throughout-my/) [Fernando Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-torres/) > [Success isn't ideal for every child. If we think a child would do better in a different school, whether it's a specialized program or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-moskowitz/success-isn-t-ideal-for-every-child-if-we-think-a-child-would-do/) [Eva Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-moskowitz/) [Browse all 523 Ideal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Man with the great M is only an ideal, the species only something thought of.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Max Stirner" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-the-species-only-something/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ideal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-the-species-only-something/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/max-stirner-6556_ideal_man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-th_2645217.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/max-stirner-6556_ideal_man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-th_2645217.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/35c/max-stirner-6556_ideal_man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-th_2645217.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Man with the great M is only an ideal, the species only something thought of.” — Max Stirner", "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": "Max Stirner", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-stirner/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Man with the great M is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-the-species-only-something/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-stirner/man-with-the-great-m-is-only-an-ideal-the-species-only-something/#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 } } ] } ```