--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who cannot feel the littleness of…" description: "\"Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.\" — Okakura Kakuzo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/okakura-kakuzo-24162_feels_those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of_958468.jpg" --- # Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in… ![“Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.” quote by Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/okakura-kakuzo-24162_feels_those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of_958468.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/okakura-kakuzo-24162_feels_those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of_958468.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/okakura-kakuzo-24162_feels_those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of_958468.jpg) > “Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.” [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing small wonders in others requires humility about one's own greatness. **In simple terms:** Seeing small things in others needs humility. Key Takeaway Practice humility to appreciate others. Themes humility appreciation perspective Mood thoughtful respectful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - teamwork - mentorship - community service Key Concepts philosophy interpersonal relations Questions to Reflect On - How does humility affect self-worth? - Can we balance humility and confidence? A Different Perspective May undervalue one's own achievements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feel Littleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-littleness-1757424/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Greatness Little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness-little-1757423/) [Little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) [Littleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littleness/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Overlook Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overlook-greatness-1757422/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) ## Related quotes > [“At the bottom of the modern man there is always a great thirst for self-forgetfulness, self-distraction; he has a secret horror of all which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-fr-d-ric-amiel/at-the-bottom-of-the-modern-man-there-is-always-a-great-thirst-for/) [Henri-Frédéric Amiel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-fr-d-ric-amiel/) > [“I didn't trust such general greatness one little bit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-wolff/i-didn-t-trust-such-general-greatness-one-little-bit/) [Veronica Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-wolff/) > [See simplicity in the complicated. Achieve greatness in little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laozi/see-simplicity-in-the-complicated-achieve-greatness-in-little-things/) [Laozi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laozi/) > [I learned that my sadness never destroyed what was great about me. You just have to go back to that greatness, find that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lady-gaga/i-learned-that-my-sadness-never-destroyed-what-was-great-about-me-you/) [Lady Gaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lady-gaga/) > [When a man realizes his littleness, his greatness can appear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/when-a-man-realizes-his-littleness-his-greatness-can-appear/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [We can easily forgive want of means; but littleness, with means, is disgusting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-therese-de-marguenat-de-courcelles/we-can-easily-forgive-want-of-means-but-littleness-with-means-is/) [Anne-Therese de Marguenat de Courcelles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-therese-de-marguenat-de-courcelles/) > [It is but the littleness of man that seeth no greatness in trifles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-phillips/it-is-but-the-littleness-of-man-that-seeth-no-greatness-in-trifles/) [Wendell Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-phillips/) > [Dont let the littleness in others bring out the littleness in you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jreyes/dont-let-the-littleness-in-others-bring-out-the-littleness-in-you/) [JREYES](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jreyes/) > [All finery is a sign of littleness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-kaspar-lavater/all-finery-is-a-sign-of-littleness/) [Johann Kaspar Lavater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-kaspar-lavater/) > [He who stays not in his littleness, loses his greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saint-francis-de-sales/he-who-stays-not-in-his-littleness-loses-his-greatness/) [Saint Francis de Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saint-francis-de-sales/) > [“However...who said that thing about "the littleness of life that art exaggerates"?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barnes-flaubert/however-who-said-that-thing-about-the-littleness-of-life-that-art/) [Barnes Flaubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barnes-flaubert/) > [...greatness sympathises with greatness, and littleness shrinks into itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/greatness-sympathises-with-greatness-and-littleness-shrinks-into/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Envy is littleness of soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/envy-is-littleness-of-soul/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [What I absorbed from autobiographies was not how to be great so much as the littleness of the great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-franklin/what-i-absorbed-from-autobiographies-was-not-how-to-be-great-so-much/) [Miles Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-franklin/) > [Greatness is one of the sensations of littleness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/greatness-is-one-of-the-sensations-of-littleness/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) ## More by Okakura Kakuzo > [The canvas upon which the artist paints is the spectator's mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-canvas-upon-which-the-artist-paints-is-the-spectator-s-mind/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence. It inculcates purity and harmony, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/teaism-is-a-cult-founded-on-the-adoration-of-the-beautiful-among-the/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-art-of-life-is-a-constant-readjustment-to-our-surroundings/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In our common parlance we speak of the man "with no tea" in him, when he is insusceptible to the serio-comic interests of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-our-common-parlance-we-speak-of-the-man-with-no-tea-in-him-when-he/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-joy-or-sadness-flowers-are-our-constant-friends/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Tea is a work of art and needs a master hand to bring out its noblest qualities. We have good and bad teas, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-a-work-of-art-and-needs-a-master-hand-to-bring-out-its-noblest/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [“The Taoist and Zen conception of perfection... the dynamic nature of their philosophy laid more stress upon the process through which perfection was sought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-taoist-and-zen-conception-of-perfection-the-dynamic-nature-of/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Friends are flowers in life's garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/friends-are-flowers-in-life-s-garden/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The outsider may indeed wonder at this seeming much ado about nothing. What a tempest in a tea-cup! he will say. But when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-outsider-may-indeed-wonder-at-this-seeming-much-ado-about-nothing/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [In Japan, I took part in a tea ceremony. You go into a small room, tea is served, and that's it really, except that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/in-japan-i-took-part-in-a-tea-ceremony-you-go-into-a-small-room-tea/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [A garden is a friend you can visit any time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/a-garden-is-a-friend-you-can-visit-any-time/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-began-as-a-medicine-and-grew-into-a-beverage/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Tea is more than an idealization of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/tea-is-more-than-an-idealization-of-the-form-of-drinking-it-is-a/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [Cares melt when you kneel in your garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/cares-melt-when-you-kneel-in-your-garden/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) > [The Philosophy of Tea is not mere aestheticism ... for it expresses conjointly with ethics and religion our whole point of view about man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/the-philosophy-of-tea-is-not-mere-aestheticism-for-it-expresses/) [Okakura Kakuzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) [Explore all 24 Okakura Kakuzo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/) ## More Feels quotes > [Women still, when they have breast cancer, go to work; they still lead their lives. They have to. I just did what I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-potter/women-still-when-they-have-breast-cancer-go-to-work-they-still-lead/) [Monica Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-potter/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all know what it feels like to love someone and care about them and want to protect them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiana-madeira/we-all-know-what-it-feels-like-to-love-someone-and-care-about-them/) [Kiana Madeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiana-madeira/) > [Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-morrison/pain-is-meant-to-wake-us-up-people-try-to-hide-their-pain-but-they-re/) [Jim Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-morrison/) > [I think most artists feel like they're outside society - no matter how many accolades they receive, or how much money is in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rose/i-think-most-artists-feel-like-they-re-outside-society-no-matter-how/) [Aaron Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rose/) > [Most days, I go home and I feel rejuvenated. I feel ebullient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/most-days-i-go-home-and-i-feel-rejuvenated-i-feel-ebullient/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [Do you think that God would separate me from my husband if I killed myself? I feel as though I am going out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-you-think-that-god-would-separate-me-from-my-husband-if-i-killed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Personal Style comes from within. It's when the woman, her individuality and spirit come through. She uses clothes to express who she is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-karan/personal-style-comes-from-within-it-s-when-the-woman-her/) [Donna Karan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-karan/) > [(knitting while on a motorcycle) "For several years she knitted in secret (my father would not approve; she was to concentrate on motorcycling and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-zimmermann/knitting-while-on-a-motorcycle-for-several-years-she-knitted-in/) [Elizabeth Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-zimmermann/) > [Then come to realize that you're making mountains out of molehills. Realize how petty you've become. Sure, it may feel like you can't get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-asher/then-come-to-realize-that-you-re-making-mountains-out-of-molehills/) [Jay Asher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-asher/) > [A lot of indigenous cultures are deeply involved in working with ancestor spirits, elemental spirits, and demons. Many of these cultures feel that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-pinchbeck/a-lot-of-indigenous-cultures-are-deeply-involved-in-working-with/) [Daniel Pinchbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-pinchbeck/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/) [Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/) [Browse all 38,933 Feels quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of little things in others.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Okakura Kakuzo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of-great-things-in-themselves/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Feels" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of-great-things-in-themselves/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/okakura-kakuzo-24162_feels_those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of_958468.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/okakura-kakuzo-24162_feels_those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of_958468.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/561/okakura-kakuzo-24162_feels_those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of_958468.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Those who cannot feel the littleness of great things in themselves are apt to overlook the greatness of…” — Okakura Kakuzo", "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": "Okakura Kakuzo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/okakura-kakuzo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Those who cannot feel the littleness...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of-great-things-in-themselves/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/okakura-kakuzo/those-who-cannot-feel-the-littleness-of-great-things-in-themselves/#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 } } ] } ```