--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great is not great to the greater." description: "\"Great is not great to the greater.\" — Philip Sidney" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/philip-sidney-2095_great_great-is-not-great-to-the-greater-121966_1219667.png" --- # Great is not great to the greater. ![“Great is not great to the greater.” quote by Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/philip-sidney-2095_great_great-is-not-great-to-the-greater-121966_1219667.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/philip-sidney-2095_great_great-is-not-great-to-the-greater-121966_1219667.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/480/philip-sidney-2095_great_great-is-not-great-to-the-greater-121966_1219667.png) > “Great is not great to the greater.” [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True greatness is measured against those who surpass us, not against lesser standards. **In simple terms:** Greatness is relative to higher standards. Key Takeaway Judge yourself against higher ideals. Themes humility comparison excellence Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career ambition - personal growth - leadership - sports competition Key Concepts relativism ethical standards Questions to Reflect On - Who are your true role models? - How do you define greatness beyond external comparison? A Different Perspective Comparisons can demotivate if the higher standard feels unattainable. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-great-692978/) [Great Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-greater-622874/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ## Related quotes > [It's great to be great, but its greater to be human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/it-s-great-to-be-great-but-its-greater-to-be-human/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [I think Chappelle set the bar when he came out with his show. To be as great as him or greater you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aries-spears/i-think-chappelle-set-the-bar-when-he-came-out-with-his-show-to-be-as/) [Aries Spears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aries-spears/) > [If love is great, and there are no greater things, then what I feel for you must be the greatest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-philpot/if-love-is-great-and-there-are-no-greater-things-then-what-i-feel-for/) [Ian Philpot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-philpot/) > [Britain was just land,even rubble,until someone came and named it Great,God say's today that you're Great and even Greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-maelane/britain-was-just-land-even-rubble-until-someone-came-and-named-it/) [Joseph Maelane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-maelane/) > [LOVE, If love is great, and there are no greater things, then what I feel for you must be the greatest!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-if-love-is-great-and-there-are-no-greater-things-then-what-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [No man however great is greater than his people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/no-man-however-great-is-greater-than-his-people/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Others are great but you can be greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/others-are-great-but-you-can-be-greater/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [It's great to be No. 1, but it's even greater to inspire people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-long/it-s-great-to-be-no-1-but-it-s-even-greater-to-inspire-people/) [Jessica Long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-long/) > [“i have the potential to either be great, or a great failure!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzette-francis/i-have-the-potential-to-either-be-great-or-a-great-failure/) [Suzette Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzette-francis/) > [No one ever became great except through many and great mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-e-gladstone/no-one-ever-became-great-except-through-many-and-great-mistakes/) [William E. Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-e-gladstone/) > [Be great nd do great..!! then the great things will fall under ur feet..!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua/be-great-nd-do-great-then-the-great-things-will-fall-under-ur-feet/) [Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua/) > [We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-come-nearest-to-the-great-when-we-are-great-in-humility/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [To love one that is great, is almost to be great one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-love-one-that-is-great-is-almost-to-be-great-one-s-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Great is a great one whose great ones are great”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stein/great-is-a-great-one-whose-great-ones-are-great/) [John Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stein/) > [Instead of showing up to let everyone know how great we are, show up to find out how great everyone else is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/instead-of-showing-up-to-let-everyone-know-how-great-we-are-show-up/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) ## More by Philip Sidney > [Laws are not made like lime-twigs or nets, to catch everything that toucheth them; but rather like sea-marks, to guide from shipwreck the ignorant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/laws-are-not-made-like-lime-twigs-or-nets-to-catch-everything-that/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [It is no less vain to wish death than it is cowardly to fear it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/it-is-no-less-vain-to-wish-death-than-it-is-cowardly-to-fear-it/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Whatever comes out of despair cannot bear the title of valor, which should be lifted up to such a height that holding all things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/whatever-comes-out-of-despair-cannot-bear-the-title-of-valor-which/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Sweet speaking oft a currish heart reclaims.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/sweet-speaking-oft-a-currish-heart-reclaims/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [To be ambitious of true honor and of the real glory and perfection of our nature is the very principle and incentive of virtue;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/to-be-ambitious-of-true-honor-and-of-the-real-glory-and-perfection-of/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [He travels safe and not unpleasantly who is guarded by poverty and guided by love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/he-travels-safe-and-not-unpleasantly-who-is-guarded-by-poverty-and/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [There is a certain delicacy which in yielding conquers; and with a pitiful look makes one find cause to crave help one's self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/there-is-a-certain-delicacy-which-in-yielding-conquers-and-with-a/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [The glory and increase of wisdom stands in exercising it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/the-glory-and-increase-of-wisdom-stands-in-exercising-it/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [O sweet woods, the delight of solitariness!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/o-sweet-woods-the-delight-of-solitariness/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [“Stella, the only planet of my light, Light of my life, and life of my desire, Chief good, whereto my hope doth only aspire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/stella-the-only-planet-of-my-light-light-of-my-life-and-life-of-my/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [All is but lip-wisdom which wants experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/all-is-but-lip-wisdom-which-wants-experience/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Confidence in one's self is the chief nurse of magnanimity, which confidence, notwithstanding, doth not leave the care of necessary furniture for it; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/confidence-in-one-s-self-is-the-chief-nurse-of-magnanimity-which/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Those lovers scorn whom that love doth possess? Do they call virtue there ungratefulness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/those-lovers-scorn-whom-that-love-doth-possess-do-they-call-virtue/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [It depends on education--that holder of the keys which the Almighty hath put into our hands--to open the gates which lead to virtue or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/it-depends-on-education-that-holder-of-the-keys-which-the-almighty/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [Vice is but a nurse of agonies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/vice-is-but-a-nurse-of-agonies/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) [Explore all 186 Philip Sidney quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) ## More Great quotes > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [You have to have a great director to make a great movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thelma-schoonmaker/you-have-to-have-a-great-director-to-make-a-great-movie/) [Thelma Schoonmaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thelma-schoonmaker/) > [Scepticism and cynicism about politics is so great that one of the best counters to it is what you can do at a local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-miliband/scepticism-and-cynicism-about-politics-is-so-great-that-one-of-the/) [Ed Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-miliband/) > [I'm very proud of some of the stories I've been given thanks to the team at 'Emmerdale,' they've been great over the years so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-fletcher/i-m-very-proud-of-some-of-the-stories-i-ve-been-given-thanks-to-the/) [Kelvin Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-fletcher/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. 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Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [A lot of people have been saying 'The 100' reminds them of 'Lord Of The Flies,' 'Lost' and 'Battlestar Galactica,' and all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-avgeropoulos/a-lot-of-people-have-been-saying-the-100-reminds-them-of-lord-of-the/) [Marie Avgeropoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-avgeropoulos/) > [I always bump into people that Ive met. Not great friends, but if I bump into somebody Ive known and I wont recognise them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dario-franchitti/i-always-bump-into-people-that-ive-met-not-great-friends-but-if-i/) [Dario Franchitti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dario-franchitti/) > [Performance matters because games are built on great performance, but form factor and energy efficiency matter incredibly because they want to build something that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jensen-huang/performance-matters-because-games-are-built-on-great-performance-but/) [Jensen Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jensen-huang/) > [I'm a lot of things, but none of them are great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-nelson/i-m-a-lot-of-things-but-none-of-them-are-great/) [Don Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-nelson/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I've always been a believer in research. 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