--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's not the sentiments of men which make…" description: "\"It's not the sentiments of men which make history but their actions.\" — Norman Mailer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/norman-mailer-839_actions_it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-mak_2140233.png" --- # It's not the sentiments of men which make history but… ![“It's not the sentiments of men which make history but their actions.” quote by Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/norman-mailer-839_actions_it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-mak_2140233.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/norman-mailer-839_actions_it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-mak_2140233.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/norman-mailer-839_actions_it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-mak_2140233.png) > “It's not the sentiments of men which make history but their actions.” [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Actions, not feelings, shape historical outcomes. **In simple terms:** Actions drive history, not feelings. Key Takeaway Focus on decisive deeds. Themes history action leadership Mood reflective serious Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political movements - social change - personal decisions Key Concepts political theory human agency Questions to Reflect On - What actions have you taken that influence others? - How do feelings translate into impact? A Different Perspective Actions can be misinterpreted without context. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Sentiments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentiments/) ## Related quotes > [The sentiments of men are known not only by what they receive, but what they reject also.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-sentiments-of-men-are-known-not-only-by-what-they-receive-but/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [The men who make history have not time to write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klemens-von-metternich/the-men-who-make-history-have-not-time-to-write-it/) [Klemens von Metternich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klemens-von-metternich/) > [Men make history, but they can never know the history they are making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-ellis/men-make-history-but-they-can-never-know-the-history-they-are-making/) [Joseph J. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-ellis/) > [Men make history, not the other way around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/men-make-history-not-the-other-way-around/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Men make their own history but not in circumstances of their own choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/men-make-their-own-history-but-not-in-circumstances-of-their-own/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [Men make history. History does not make the man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/men-make-history-history-does-not-make-the-man/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [Men make their own history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-marx/men-make-their-own-history/) [Karl Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-marx/) > [If, after all, men cannot always make history have a meaning, they can always act so that their own lives have one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/if-after-all-men-cannot-always-make-history-have-a-meaning-they-can/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I love men who make me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nastassja-kinski/i-love-men-who-make-me-laugh/) [Nastassja Kinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nastassja-kinski/) > [Men can do nothing without the make-believe of a beginning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/men-can-do-nothing-without-the-make-believe-of-a-beginning/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Wise men make more opportunities than they find.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/wise-men-make-more-opportunities-than-they-find/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some men make money not for the sake of living, but ache In the blindness of greed and live just for their fortune's sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/some-men-make-money-not-for-the-sake-of-living-but-ache-in-the/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [Most men when they make up their faces, the makeup stands forward, and their faces are behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/most-men-when-they-make-up-their-faces-the-makeup-stands-forward-and/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [Parisian men make love all day and have no time to work; American men work all day and have no time for love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zsa-zsa-gabor/parisian-men-make-love-all-day-and-have-no-time-to-work-american-men/) [Zsa Zsa Gabor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zsa-zsa-gabor/) > [There are various orders of beauty, causing men to make fools of themselves in various styles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-are-various-orders-of-beauty-causing-men-to-make-fools-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) ## More by Norman Mailer > [Conservatives are people who look at a tree and feel instinctively that it is more beautiful than anything they can name. But when it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/conservatives-are-people-who-look-at-a-tree-and-feel-instinctively/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [There's a subterranean impetus towards pornography so powerful that half the business world is juiced by the sort of half sex that one finds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/there-s-a-subterranean-impetus-towards-pornography-so-powerful-that/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [So the blind will lead the blind, and the deaf shout warnings to one another until their voices are lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/so-the-blind-will-lead-the-blind-and-the-deaf-shout-warnings-to-one/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Writing for a newspaper is like running a revolutionary war. You go to battle not when you are ready, but when action offers itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/writing-for-a-newspaper-is-like-running-a-revolutionary-war-you-go-to/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I would introduce myself if it were not useless. The name I had last night will not be the same as the name I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-would-introduce-myself-if-it-were-not-useless-the-name-i-had-last/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“City Point is so beautiful, she says. In the night they cannot see the garbage that litters the beach, the seaweed and driftwood, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/city-point-is-so-beautiful-she-says-in-the-night-they-cannot-see-the/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [“I find it’s more fun to write about something that you don’t know completely and that you will discover on route. A dear friend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-find-it-s-more-fun-to-write-about-something-that-you-don-t-know/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Short-term amnesia is not the worst affliction if you have an Irish flair for the sauce.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/short-term-amnesia-is-not-the-worst-affliction-if-you-have-an-irish/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Part of the oncoming demise (of New York during its terrible fiscal crisis) is that none of us can simply believe it. We were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/part-of-the-oncoming-demise-of-new-york-during-its-terrible-fiscal/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I have always had this very strong, call it a feeling, call it a prejudice, call it a conviction ... that the mysteries are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-have-always-had-this-very-strong-call-it-a-feeling-call-it-a/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I do believe that America's deepest political sickness is that it is a self-righteous nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-do-believe-that-america-s-deepest-political-sickness-is-that-it-is/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [America is a hurricane, and the only people who do not hear the sound are those fortunate if incredibly stupid and smug White Protestants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/america-is-a-hurricane-and-the-only-people-who-do-not-hear-the-sound/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Armstrong, sitting in the commander's seat, spacesuit on, helmet on, plugged into electrical and environmental umbilical's, is a man who is not only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/armstrong-sitting-in-the-commander-s-seat-spacesuit-on-helmet-on/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [I was thinking that surgeons had to be the happiest people on earth. To cut people up and get paid for it-that's happiness, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/i-was-thinking-that-surgeons-had-to-be-the-happiest-people-on-earth/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Movies are more likely than literature to reach deep feelings in people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/movies-are-more-likely-than-literature-to-reach-deep-feelings-in/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) [Explore all 355 Norman Mailer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) ## More Actions quotes > [“I take my actions because of my passion not because of compulsion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/i-take-my-actions-because-of-my-passion-not-because-of-compulsion/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) > [Self-discipline is an act of cultivation. It require you to connect today's actions to tomorrow's results. There's a season for sowing a season for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-ryan-blair/self-discipline-is-an-act-of-cultivation-it-require-you-to-connect/) [Gary Ryan Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-ryan-blair/) > [A lot of my work involves instilling objects with the power of touch - a transference of soul, spirit, energy through actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-colen/a-lot-of-my-work-involves-instilling-objects-with-the-power-of-touch/) [Dan Colen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-colen/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [True love is proven through the actions of your true love!! Not through the act of saying it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/true-love-is-proven-through-the-actions-of-your-true-love-not-through/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The actions of the University in my case make it abundantly clear that the Administration's rhetoric about Harvard's desire to attract and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/the-actions-of-the-university-in-my-case-make-it-abundantly-clear/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [As we get more transparent with data sets about infrastructure and systems management, I have a feeling we'll see big changes in how we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-koblin/as-we-get-more-transparent-with-data-sets-about-infrastructure-and/) [Aaron Koblin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-koblin/) > [“When you are pushed to the wall, you will act and do things you have never done before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/when-you-are-pushed-to-the-wall-you-will-act-and-do-things-you-have/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [“The definition of a professional is one who does a job well even when they don't like it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-sheinwald/the-definition-of-a-professional-is-one-who-does-a-job-well-even-when/) Alan Sheinwald > [“FLIES IN DISGUISE Tell me, Have you Really seen Flies in a child's eyes Or heard their hungry cries In the middle Of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/flies-in-disguise-tell-me-have-you-really-seen-flies-in-a-child-s/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“We are the result of our mere actions. What we do, we become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santosh-kalwar/we-are-the-result-of-our-mere-actions-what-we-do-we-become/) [Santosh Kalwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santosh-kalwar/) > [I would rather have my actions speak for me on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorenzo-insigne/i-would-rather-have-my-actions-speak-for-me-on-the-pitch/) [Lorenzo Insigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorenzo-insigne/) > [If you want to know someone's mind, listen to their words. If you want to know their heart, watch their actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-want-to-know-someone-s-mind-listen-to-their-words-if-you-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Twitter didn't make up the hashtag. Twitter didn't make up the retweet. It's our users. And people started using them so much that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-jacobs-stanton/twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-hashtag-twitter-didn-t-make-up-the-retweet/) Katie Jacobs Stanton > [I personally claim no special insight into Satan's methods, but I have at times been able to identify his influence and his actions in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-e-faust/i-personally-claim-no-special-insight-into-satan-s-methods-but-i-have/) [James E. Faust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-e-faust/) [Browse all 1,287 Actions quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's not the sentiments of men which make history but their actions.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Norman Mailer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-make-history-but-their-actions/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Actions" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-make-history-but-their-actions/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/norman-mailer-839_actions_it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-mak_2140233.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/norman-mailer-839_actions_it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-mak_2140233.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7fa/norman-mailer-839_actions_it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-mak_2140233.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's not the sentiments of men which make history but their actions.” — Norman Mailer", "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": "Norman Mailer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's not the sentiments of men...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-make-history-but-their-actions/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/it-s-not-the-sentiments-of-men-which-make-history-but-their-actions/#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 } } ] } ```