--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The real distinction between being great…" description: "\"“The real distinction between being great and being less great seems to be the extent to which we are willing to be pushed along by our own desires.”\" ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/melanie-brown-19309_great-people_the-real-distinction-between-being-great_2464648.jpg" --- # The real distinction between being great and being less… ![“The real distinction between being great and being less great seems to be the extent to which we are willing to be pushed along by our own desires.” quote by Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/melanie-brown-19309_great-people_the-real-distinction-between-being-great_2464648.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/melanie-brown-19309_great-people_the-real-distinction-between-being-great_2464648.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/melanie-brown-19309_great-people_the-real-distinction-between-being-great_2464648.jpg) > ““The real distinction between being great and being less great seems to be the extent to which we are willing to be pushed along by our own desires.”” [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Greatness versus mediocrity depends on how much we let personal desires drive us forward. **In simple terms:** Desires fuel greatness. Key Takeaway Align desires with purpose. Themes ambition self‑discipline growth motivation Mood inspirational reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - creative projects - fitness goals Key Concepts psychology self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - Are your desires constructive? - What limits your willingness to be pushed? A Different Perspective Desires can also lead to reckless choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-people/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ## Related quotes > [In life we have to be willing to get back up after we have been pushed down, but we must also make efforts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/in-life-we-have-to-be-willing-to-get-back-up-after-we-have-been/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [“The fact that at the moment the distinction is being made, a young adult, as opposed to an adult, is the one reading it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-cashore/the-fact-that-at-the-moment-the-distinction-is-being-made-a-young/) [Kristin Cashore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-cashore/) > [An invincible determination can accomplish almost anything and in this lies the great distinction between great men and little men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-fuller/an-invincible-determination-can-accomplish-almost-anything-and-in/) [Thomas Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-fuller/) > [Let the revolting distinction of rich and poor disappear once and for all, the distinction of great and small, of masters and valets, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-noel-babeuf/let-the-revolting-distinction-of-rich-and-poor-disappear-once-and-for/) Francois-Noel Babeuf > [The only real distinction at this dangerous moment in human history and cosmic development has nothing to do with medals and ribbons. 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To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/we-hope-president-obama-will-now-respect-the-will-of-the-people/) [John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/) > [Who is to say what is real and what is not?'Real' is a distinction of a naïve mind...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/who-is-to-say-what-is-real-and-what-is-not-real-is-a-distinction-of-a/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [You may command nature to the extent only in which you are willing to obey her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-russell/you-may-command-nature-to-the-extent-only-in-which-you-are-willing-to/) [Walter Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-russell/) > [I am a firm believer that you can have the body you want, only to the extent that you're willing to work for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-heard/i-am-a-firm-believer-that-you-can-have-the-body-you-want-only-to-the/) [Amber Heard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-heard/) > [it is only to the extent that we are willing to expose ourselves again and again to annihilation that we are able to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/it-is-only-to-the-extent-that-we-are-willing-to-expose-ourselves/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [You need to be real enough to be believable, but you don't necessarily have to be real enough to be real. There is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-whitford/you-need-to-be-real-enough-to-be-believable-but-you-don-t-necessarily/) [Bradley Whitford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-whitford/) > [With the great people that you work with, it's that they're never giving up and they're never thinking something's finished until they've really, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-price/with-the-great-people-that-you-work-with-it-s-that-they-re-never/) [Steven Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-price/) > [Great people are not people who have never fallen down. Greatness has to do with how you get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/great-people-are-not-people-who-have-never-fallen-down-greatness-has/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [I have been lucky enough to travel a lot, meet great people in many lands. I have liked almost everyone I met along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/i-have-been-lucky-enough-to-travel-a-lot-meet-great-people-in-many/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) ## More by Melanie Brown > [I'm always busy. And I don't even see it really as work, because everything I do I still really enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-m-always-busy-and-i-don-t-even-see-it-really-as-work-because/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [I'm well-travelled so I can see places coming up. I went to St. Croix in the West Indies at Christmas and it had been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-m-well-travelled-so-i-can-see-places-coming-up-i-went-to-st-croix/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [I'm not putting pressure on myself, all I know is I want to do music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-m-not-putting-pressure-on-myself-all-i-know-is-i-want-to-do-music/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [You've gotta be business savvy really, or else you get the piss taken out of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/you-ve-gotta-be-business-savvy-really-or-else-you-get-the-piss-taken/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [I wouldn’t call myself a feminist. I try to live by the girl-power motto. It’s about believing in yourself, no matter how bad a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-wouldn-t-call-myself-a-feminist-i-try-to-live-by-the-girl-power/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [The way that I live my life is on spontaneity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/the-way-that-i-live-my-life-is-on-spontaneity/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [Sometimes I can be tactful and sometimes not. It all depends on the mood I'm in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/sometimes-i-can-be-tactful-and-sometimes-not-it-all-depends-on-the/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [Hopefully, next year if we can get everything sorted out and together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/hopefully-next-year-if-we-can-get-everything-sorted-out-and-together/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [I'm one of five girls in the whole entire world that can honestly say I'm a Spice Girl. I'm still proud of that, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-m-one-of-five-girls-in-the-whole-entire-world-that-can-honestly-say/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [Whether I was dancing around the house with headphones on or on stage with the Spice Girls... I learned firsthand that dancing was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/whether-i-was-dancing-around-the-house-with-headphones-on-or-on-stage/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [As a singer, you need to find you water that works for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/as-a-singer-you-need-to-find-you-water-that-works-for-you/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [England is my home. I could never leave. I'd miss my family and friends too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/england-is-my-home-i-could-never-leave-i-d-miss-my-family-and-friends/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [I don't want to stop bringing out music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-don-t-want-to-stop-bringing-out-music/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [I know about investment. It's really obvious - you buy property, let it sit for a couple of years and then sell it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-know-about-investment-it-s-really-obvious-you-buy-property-let-it/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) > [I collect art. I just recently bought two gorgeous photographs of Marilyn Monroe by international photographer Eve Arnold and I know it sounds horrible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/i-collect-art-i-just-recently-bought-two-gorgeous-photographs-of/) [Melanie Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) [Explore all 33 Melanie Brown quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/) ## More Great people quotes > [I have been lucky enough to travel a lot, meet great people in many lands. I have liked almost everyone I met along the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maeve-binchy/i-have-been-lucky-enough-to-travel-a-lot-meet-great-people-in-many/) [Maeve Binchy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maeve-binchy/) > [Great people are not people who have never fallen down. Greatness has to do with how you get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/great-people-are-not-people-who-have-never-fallen-down-greatness-has/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [With the great people that you work with, it's that they're never giving up and they're never thinking something's finished until they've really, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-price/with-the-great-people-that-you-work-with-it-s-that-they-re-never/) [Steven Price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-price/) > [If you want to hire great people and have them stay, you have to be run by ideas, not hierarchy. The best ideas have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/if-you-want-to-hire-great-people-and-have-them-stay-you-have-to-be/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [And I'm working with all these great people at Sony Publishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-i-m-working-with-all-these-great-people-at-sony-publishing/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I admire all the great people who have dedicated their free time to helping humanity move forward.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/i-admire-all-the-great-people-who-have-dedicated-their-free-time-to/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [Well, at least I definitely know the military likes Trump, right? That's great, it's - you're amazing people, are great people and I very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/well-at-least-i-definitely-know-the-military-likes-trump-right-that-s/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [For creative tasks, the best approach is often just to hire great people and get out of their way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/for-creative-tasks-the-best-approach-is-often-just-to-hire-great/) [Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/) > [In Jamaica, them always have throwback riddims, recycled old beats, and the hardcore reggae scene is always present. You have faster stuff like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-marley/in-jamaica-them-always-have-throwback-riddims-recycled-old-beats-and/) [Damian Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-marley/) > [I've been fortunate to have a lot of great people around me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gardner-minshew/i-ve-been-fortunate-to-have-a-lot-of-great-people-around-me/) [Gardner Minshew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gardner-minshew/) > [My approach to politics is very serious. It must be handled by great people with extraordinary skills and human qualities. I feel I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/balachandra-menon/my-approach-to-politics-is-very-serious-it-must-be-handled-by-great/) [Balachandra Menon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/balachandra-menon/) > [Although I am deeply grateful to a great many people, I forgo the temptation of naming them for fear that I might slight any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-bikel/although-i-am-deeply-grateful-to-a-great-many-people-i-forgo-the/) [Theodore Bikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-bikel/) > [I am the luckiest guy in the world. All my dreams came true. I was in a wonderful business, and I met great people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-johnson/i-am-the-luckiest-guy-in-the-world-all-my-dreams-came-true-i-was-in-a/) Van Johnson > [I have great people, smart people that are around me and we love the challenge. I guess it's like climbing a mountain or building…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/i-have-great-people-smart-people-that-are-around-me-and-we-love-the/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [Great people create great acts of kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/great-people-create-great-acts-of-kindness/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) [Browse all 686 Great people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-people/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The real distinction between being great and being less great seems to be the extent to which we are willing to be pushed along by our own desires.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Melanie Brown" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/the-real-distinction-between-being-great-and-being-less-great-seems/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great people" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/the-real-distinction-between-being-great-and-being-less-great-seems/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/melanie-brown-19309_great-people_the-real-distinction-between-being-great_2464648.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/melanie-brown-19309_great-people_the-real-distinction-between-being-great_2464648.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/melanie-brown-19309_great-people_the-real-distinction-between-being-great_2464648.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The real distinction between being great and being less great seems to be the extent to which we are willing…” — Melanie Brown", "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": "Melanie Brown", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-brown/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The real distinction between being great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/the-real-distinction-between-being-great-and-being-less-great-seems/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-brown/the-real-distinction-between-being-great-and-being-less-great-seems/#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 } } ] } ```