--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You should make great things, not…" description: "\"You should make great things, not promising great things.\" — Pythagoras" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/pythagoras-2290_great-things_you-should-make-great-things-not-promisi_1269233.jpg" --- # You should make great things, not promising great things. ![“You should make great things, not promising great things.” quote by Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/pythagoras-2290_great-things_you-should-make-great-things-not-promisi_1269233.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/pythagoras-2290_great-things_you-should-make-great-things-not-promisi_1269233.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/pythagoras-2290_great-things_you-should-make-great-things-not-promisi_1269233.jpg) > “You should make great things, not promising great things.” [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Create tangible achievements rather than empty promises; actions speak louder than words. **In simple terms:** Make things, not promises. Key Takeaway Prioritize doing over saying. Themes action integrity productivity Mood motivational pragmatic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - project planning - personal goals - team leadership Key Concepts philosophy ethics Questions to Reflect On - What is the cost of unkept promises? - How can we balance vision with execution? A Different Perspective Promises can motivate but may also mislead. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) ## Related quotes > [“Love is promising to give someone everything and not expect anything in return.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-hart/love-is-promising-to-give-someone-everything-and-not-expect-anything/) [Emma Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-hart/) > [Our promising lives are full of empty promises. ?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-promising-lives-are-full-of-empty-promises/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“If God's asking you to do something, He's also promising to go with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-g-stevens/if-god-s-asking-you-to-do-something-he-s-also-promising-to-go-with-you/) Amanda G. Stevens > [Like a bottle of wine or a promising college quarterback turning pro, C.E.O.'s are similar to what economists call experience goods: you commit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/like-a-bottle-of-wine-or-a-promising-college-quarterback-turning-pro/) [Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/) > [“Young" and "Poor" sounded so promising, the way my mother always told the story. Temporary conditions: poignant "befores" that existed only to contrast with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-wickersham/young-and-poor-sounded-so-promising-the-way-my-mother-always-told-the/) [Joan Wickersham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-wickersham/) > [Late 19th-century populists saw bankers and industrialists manipulating markets to enrich themselves at the expense of small farmers and labourers and favoured political candidates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/late-19th-century-populists-saw-bankers-and-industrialists/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [We believe that peace is not just signed papers, but rather a contract between generations for the building of a more promising and less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-hussein-i/we-believe-that-peace-is-not-just-signed-papers-but-rather-a-contract/) [King Hussein I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-hussein-i/) > [Reform is the mission from which we shall not digress; it is an expression of belief and determination between us and our people. With…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamad-bin-isa-al-khalifa/reform-is-the-mission-from-which-we-shall-not-digress-it-is-an/) [Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamad-bin-isa-al-khalifa/) > [IF I KEEP PROMISING MYSELF TO KEEP BEING STRONG NOTHING CAN GO THROUGH OR GET TO ME](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-ramos/if-i-keep-promising-myself-to-keep-being-strong-nothing-can-go/) [Brianna Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-ramos/) > [By betrayal, I mean promising to be on your side, then being on somebody else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/by-betrayal-i-mean-promising-to-be-on-your-side-then-being-on/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Where's the sense in promising to achive the achievable?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/where-s-the-sense-in-promising-to-achive-the-achievable/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [See? Things are already looking promising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/see-things-are-already-looking-promising/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I am not promising that God will give you everything you want. There are times when we want things that God knows would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/i-am-not-promising-that-god-will-give-you-everything-you-want-there/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) > [We in the Hispanic community are truly tired of both the Democrats and the Republicans promising all of these things during the campaigns and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-ramos/we-in-the-hispanic-community-are-truly-tired-of-both-the-democrats/) [Jorge Ramos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-ramos/) > [There's no such thing as a favorite investment. But I think I tend to invest in Asia in promising countries, in equities, in real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-faber/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-favorite-investment-but-i-think-i-tend-to/) [Marc Faber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-faber/) ## More by Pythagoras > [The oldest, shortest words - 'yes' and 'no' - are those which require the most thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/the-oldest-shortest-words-yes-and-no-are-those-which-require-the-most/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Truth is so great a perfection, that if God would render himself visible to men, he would choose light for his body and truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/truth-is-so-great-a-perfection-that-if-god-would-render-himself/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [None can be free who is a slave to, and ruled by, his passions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/none-can-be-free-who-is-a-slave-to-and-ruled-by-his-passions/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Above all have respect for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/above-all-have-respect-for-yourself/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [“As long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seeds of murder and pain cannot reap the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/as-long-as-men-massacre-animals-they-will-kill-each-other-indeed-he/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [We ought so to behave to one another as to avoid making enemies of our friends, and at the same time to make friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/we-ought-so-to-behave-to-one-another-as-to-avoid-making-enemies-of/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [There is no word or action but has its echo in Eternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/there-is-no-word-or-action-but-has-its-echo-in-eternity/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Know thyself and thou wilt know the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/know-thyself-and-thou-wilt-know-the-universe/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Geometry is knowledge of the eternally existent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/geometry-is-knowledge-of-the-eternally-existent/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [If there be light, then there is darkness; if cold, heat; if height, depth; if solid, fluid; if hard, soft; if rough, smooth; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/if-there-be-light-then-there-is-darkness-if-cold-heat-if-height-depth/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [“There is geometry in the humming of the string.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/there-is-geometry-in-the-humming-of-the-string/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/above-the-cloud-with-its-shadow-is-the-star-with-its-light-above-all/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [If men with fleshly mortals must be fed, and chew with bleeding teeth the breathing bread; what else is this but to devour our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/if-men-with-fleshly-mortals-must-be-fed-and-chew-with-bleeding-teeth/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [The oldest, shortest words - yes and o - are those which require the most thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/the-oldest-shortest-words-yes-and-o-are-those-which-require-the-most/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [When the wise man opens his mouth, the beauties of his soul present themselves to the view, like the statues in a temple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/when-the-wise-man-opens-his-mouth-the-beauties-of-his-soul-present/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) [Explore all 174 Pythagoras quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) ## More Great things quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [No matter how many great things you say about Jacques Pepin, there's always more. Through his books and videos, he taught me the importance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-kenji-lopez-alt/no-matter-how-many-great-things-you-say-about-jacques-pepin-there-s/) [J. Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [Great things that can happen when you're doing a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-l-brooks/great-things-that-can-happen-when-you-re-doing-a-movie/) [James L. Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-l-brooks/) > [Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/who-can-really-be-faithful-in-great-things-if-he-has-not-learned-to/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [“Second letter from Mom: So! What if you colored the world? This still does not seem a great thing. In fact it seems very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elena-d-calin/second-letter-from-mom-so-what-if-you-colored-the-world-this-still/) [Elena D. Calin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elena-d-calin/) > [I have so much respect for the country, I don't like blanket indictments. There's a lot of really great things about this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-collinsworth/i-have-so-much-respect-for-the-country-i-don-t-like-blanket/) [Cris Collinsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-collinsworth/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [The great thing about the arts, and especially popular music, is that it really does cut across genres and races and classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-raitt/the-great-thing-about-the-arts-and-especially-popular-music-is-that/) [Bonnie Raitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-raitt/) > [I don’t know, I don’t know that I’m missing anything. I just think too much sometimes. Sometimes I’m even happy because I’m so engaged…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-buckley/i-don-t-know-i-don-t-know-that-i-m-missing-anything-i-just-think-too/) [Jeff Buckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-buckley/) > [The great thing about an independent film is that you're too busy working, and you're too busy hoping to God to get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-dowd/the-great-thing-about-an-independent-film-is-that-you-re-too-busy/) [Ann Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-dowd/) > [Every great thing starts with an idea, followed by a doubt and finally a resolve to abandon or pursue. Victory is a treacherous journey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dane-cook/every-great-thing-starts-with-an-idea-followed-by-a-doubt-and-finally/) [Dane Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dane-cook/) > [I have a large watch collection, and classic watches are especially important to me. I had a silver Rolex, and I actually gave it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-berkus/i-have-a-large-watch-collection-and-classic-watches-are-especially/) [Nate Berkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-berkus/) > [That is one of the great things about Test cricket, the ball. Sometimes it swings conventionally, sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it reverses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alastair-cook/that-is-one-of-the-great-things-about-test-cricket-the-ball-sometimes/) [Alastair Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alastair-cook/) > [In the end things must be as they are and have always been--the great things remain for the great, the abysses for the profound,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/in-the-end-things-must-be-as-they-are-and-have-always-been-the-great/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Great men undertake great things because they are great; fools, because they think them easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/great-men-undertake-great-things-because-they-are-great-fools-because/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) [Browse all 1,881 Great things quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You should make great things, not promising great things.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pythagoras" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/you-should-make-great-things-not-promising-great-things/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Great things" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/you-should-make-great-things-not-promising-great-things/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/pythagoras-2290_great-things_you-should-make-great-things-not-promisi_1269233.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/pythagoras-2290_great-things_you-should-make-great-things-not-promisi_1269233.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b8e/pythagoras-2290_great-things_you-should-make-great-things-not-promisi_1269233.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You should make great things, not promising great things.” — Pythagoras", "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": "Pythagoras", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "You should make great things, not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/you-should-make-great-things-not-promising-great-things/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/you-should-make-great-things-not-promising-great-things/#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 } } ] } ```