--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Truly great people in history never…" description: "\"Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and be close to God.\" — Muh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/muhammad-ali-386_chance_truly-great-people-in-history-never-want_2353217.jpg" --- # Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for… ![“Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and be close to God.” quote by Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/muhammad-ali-386_chance_truly-great-people-in-history-never-want_2353217.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/muhammad-ali-386_chance_truly-great-people-in-history-never-want_2353217.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b1e/muhammad-ali-386_chance_truly-great-people-in-history-never-want_2353217.jpg) > “Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and be close to God.” [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Greatness is measured by selflessness and devotion to higher purpose, not personal glory. **In simple terms:** True greatness serves others and seeks divine closeness. Key Takeaway Serve others, seek purpose. Themes selflessness purpose spirituality Mood inspirational reflective Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - volunteering - leadership - community building - faith practice - philanthropy Key Concepts Altruism humility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance self‑care with serving others? - What does “close to God” mean for you? A Different Perspective May neglect self‑care while focusing on others. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Close God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-god/) [Great people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-people/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-wanted-386688/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-history-899998/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-great-784279/) ## Related quotes > [I tried to depict the human face of this history, I wanted to write a book that people would actually want to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imre-kert-sz/i-tried-to-depict-the-human-face-of-this-history-i-wanted-to-write-a/) [Imre Kertész](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imre-kert-sz/) > [“He had never been satisfied and never would be. It wasn't success he craved, or even fame, it was history: he wanted to crack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-brooks-dalton/he-had-never-been-satisfied-and-never-would-be-it-wasn-t-success-he/) [Lily Brooks-Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-brooks-dalton/) > [Making a history was not what I wanted to do. I wanted to construct something more powerful than that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-lanzmann/making-a-history-was-not-what-i-wanted-to-do-i-wanted-to-construct/) [Claude Lanzmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-lanzmann/) > [Hip hop's got 30 years of history and we wanted to show that. A lot of us grew up with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/axel-alonso/hip-hop-s-got-30-years-of-history-and-we-wanted-to-show-that-a-lot-of/) [Axel Alonso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/axel-alonso/) > [Oh, my other goal was that I wanted to talk about this area and this time in history. I wanted to talk about growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-kasher/oh-my-other-goal-was-that-i-wanted-to-talk-about-this-area-and-this/) [Moshe Kasher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-kasher/) > [Parkinson's is my toughest fight. No, it doesn't hurt. It's hard to explain. I'm being tested to see if I'll keep praying, to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/parkinson-s-is-my-toughest-fight-no-it-doesn-t-hurt-it-s-hard-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [“Lots of people in history have only done their jobs and look at the trouble they caused”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett-neil-gaiman/lots-of-people-in-history-have-only-done-their-jobs-and-look-at-the/) [Terry Pratchett Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett-neil-gaiman/) > [The poets have familiarized more people with history than have the historians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-tuchman/the-poets-have-familiarized-more-people-with-history-than-have-the/) [Barbara Tuchman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-tuchman/) > [A people without history Is not redeemed from time, for history is a pattern Of timeless moments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/a-people-without-history-is-not-redeemed-from-time-for-history-is-a/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [I love people, I love studying people more than history. So whatever situation I see, then I look at, what were the people like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-quinn/i-love-people-i-love-studying-people-more-than-history-so-whatever/) [Colin Quinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-quinn/) > [Happy people have no history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/happy-people-have-no-history/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [I love my people's history. I feel a huge responsibility to tell the stories of my past and my ancestors' past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-nottage/i-love-my-people-s-history-i-feel-a-huge-responsibility-to-tell-the/) [Lynn Nottage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-nottage/) > [I hate it when they tell us how far we've came to be; as if our people's history started with slavery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immortal-technique/i-hate-it-when-they-tell-us-how-far-we-ve-came-to-be-as-if-our-people/) [Immortal Technique](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immortal-technique/) > [“They say that happy people have no history, and certainly a happy love has none. They did nothing all day long and yet the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/they-say-that-happy-people-have-no-history-and-certainly-a-happy-love/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“Sometimes people have too much history together, history of the wrong kind, and people cannot tear pages from the book of their life. Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-david-jahn/sometimes-people-have-too-much-history-together-history-of-the-wrong/) [Ryan David Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-david-jahn/) ## More by Muhammad Ali > [There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-are-more-pleasant-things-to-do-than-beat-up-people/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I've never let anyone talk me into not believing in myself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-ve-never-let-anyone-talk-me-into-not-believing-in-myself/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm too fast. I'm too smart. I'm too pretty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-too-fast-i-m-too-smart-i-m-too-pretty/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I don't count my sit-ups. I only start counting when it starts hurting. 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And I start with the Honorable Elijah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/many-people-are-quick-to-say-that-we-are-not-recognized-by-muslims-in/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I have been so great in boxing they had to create an image like Rocky, a white image on the screen, to counteract my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-have-been-so-great-in-boxing-they-had-to-create-an-image-like-rocky/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Money and riches don't mean nothing to me. I don't care nothing about being no rich individual. I'm not living for glory or for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/money-and-riches-don-t-mean-nothing-to-me-i-don-t-care-nothing-about/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [Allah is the Greatest. I'm just the greatest boxer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/allah-is-the-greatest-i-m-just-the-greatest-boxer/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [My wealth is in my knowledge of self, love, and spirituality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/my-wealth-is-in-my-knowledge-of-self-love-and-spirituality/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We followed the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, who is the boss. And we don't waste a lot of time arguin' about a dead black man,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/we-followed-the-honorable-elijah-mohammed-who-is-the-boss-and-we-don/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [I'm gonna have to be killed before I lose, and I ain't going to die easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/i-m-gonna-have-to-be-killed-before-i-lose-and-i-ain-t-going-to-die/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If some black man go out and start something, a riot or something or, I'm not going to jump in it and get killed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-some-black-man-go-out-and-start-something-a-riot-or-something-or-i/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [If you want to be equal with me, you can get your own Rolls-Royce, your own house and your own million dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/if-you-want-to-be-equal-with-me-you-can-get-your-own-rolls-royce-your/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) [Explore all 609 Muhammad Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. 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But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. 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