--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great men taken up in any way are…" description: "\"“Great men taken up in any way are profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, upon a great man without gaining something by him.”\" — Thom..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c67/thomas-carlyle-207_business_great-men-taken-up-in-any-way-are-profit_1071339.png" --- # Great men taken up in any way are profitable company. We… ![“Great men taken up in any way are profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, upon a great man without gaining something by him.” quote by Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c67/thomas-carlyle-207_business_great-men-taken-up-in-any-way-are-profit_1071339.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c67/thomas-carlyle-207_business_great-men-taken-up-in-any-way-are-profit_1071339.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c67/thomas-carlyle-207_business_great-men-taken-up-in-any-way-are-profit_1071339.png) > ““Great men taken up in any way are profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, upon a great man without gaining something by him.”” [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Great people, even when flawed, teach us valuable lessons if we observe them attentively. **In simple terms:** Even imperfect great people can teach us. Key Takeaway Observe and learn from great people. Themes leadership learning human nature Mood reflective inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - business mentorship - personal development - historical study - leadership training Key Concepts hero worship role models imperfection Questions to Reflect On - What specific quality can you adopt from a flawed leader? - How do you discern useful lessons from their mistakes? A Different Perspective Greatness can be overstated; not all traits are worth emulating. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) ## Related quotes > [No great man lives in vain. The history of the world is but the biography of great men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-great-man-lives-in-vain-the-history-of-the-world-is-but-the/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [No sooner does a great man depart, and leave his character as public property, than a crowd of little men rushes towards it. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sooner-does-a-great-man-depart-and-leave-his-character-as-public/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/more-gold-has-been-mined-from-the-thoughts-of-men-than-has-been-taken/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [If ever peace is to be imposed on the world it will only be because a large number of men who could have taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-west/if-ever-peace-is-to-be-imposed-on-the-world-it-will-only-be-because-a/) [Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-west/) > [“It was nice to know that the man you cared for, cared for you enough as well to show all the other men around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-gadziala/it-was-nice-to-know-that-the-man-you-cared-for-cared-for-you-enough/) [Jessica Gadziala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-gadziala/) > [Had it been published by a voice from heaven, that twelve poor men, taken out of boats and creeks, without any help of learning,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-charnock/had-it-been-published-by-a-voice-from-heaven-that-twelve-poor-men/) [Stephen Charnock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-charnock/) > [“Too many men have taken a passive approach to their lives and, in turn, have created a life they’re not at all proud of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-michler/too-many-men-have-taken-a-passive-approach-to-their-lives-and-in-turn/) [Ryan Michler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-michler/) > [A great man need not be virtuous, nor his opinions right, but he must have a firm mind, a distinctive luminous character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/a-great-man-need-not-be-virtuous-nor-his-opinions-right-but-he-must/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [The two maxims of any great man at court are, always to keep his countenance, and never to keep his word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-swift/the-two-maxims-of-any-great-man-at-court-are-always-to-keep-his/) [Jonathan Swift](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-swift/) > [In order to become a great man, one must first be a great rascal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must-first-be-a-great-rascal/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You can never become a great man or woman until you have overcome anxiety, worry, and fear. It is impossible for an anxious person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-d-wattles/you-can-never-become-a-great-man-or-woman-until-you-have-overcome/) [Wallace D. Wattles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-d-wattles/) > [The great man is the man who does a thing for the first time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/the-great-man-is-the-man-who-does-a-thing-for-the-first-time/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [Nature never sends a great man into the planet, without confiding the secret to another soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/nature-never-sends-a-great-man-into-the-planet-without-confiding-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Greatness by nature includes a power, but not a will to power. ... The great man, whether we comprehend him in the most intense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-buber/greatness-by-nature-includes-a-power-but-not-a-will-to-power-the/) [Martin Buber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-buber/) > [No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sadder-proof-can-be-given-by-a-man-of-his-own-littleness-than/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## More by Thomas Carlyle > [O thou that pinest in the imprisonment of the Actual, and criest bitterly to the gods for a kingdom wherein to rule and create,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/o-thou-that-pinest-in-the-imprisonment-of-the-actual-and-criest/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Whose school-hours are all the days and nights of our existence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/whose-school-hours-are-all-the-days-and-nights-of-our-existence/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [No sadder proof can be given by a man of his own littleness than disbelief in great men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/no-sadder-proof-can-be-given-by-a-man-of-his-own-littleness-than/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Fame, we may understand, is no sure test of merit, but only a probability of such: it is an accident, not a property, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/fame-we-may-understand-is-no-sure-test-of-merit-but-only-a/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The sincere alone can recognize sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-sincere-alone-can-recognize-sincerity/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Be a pattern to others, and then all will go well; for as a whole city is affected by the licentious passions and vices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/be-a-pattern-to-others-and-then-all-will-go-well-for-as-a-whole-city/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The glory of a workman, still more of a master workman, that he does his work well, ought to be his most precious possession;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-glory-of-a-workman-still-more-of-a-master-workman-that-he-does/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [All human things do require to have an ideal in them; to have some soul in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/all-human-things-do-require-to-have-an-ideal-in-them-to-have-some/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Insurrection, never so necessary, is a most sad necessity; and governors who wait for that to instruct them are surely getting into the fatalest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/insurrection-never-so-necessary-is-a-most-sad-necessity-and-governors/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [What is philosophy but a continual battle against custom?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/what-is-philosophy-but-a-continual-battle-against-custom/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Let Time and Chance combine, combine! Let Time and Chance combine! The fairest love from heaven above, That love of yours was mine, My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/let-time-and-chance-combine-combine-let-time-and-chance-combine-the/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Thought will not work except in silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/thought-will-not-work-except-in-silence/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The public is anold woman.Let her maunderand mumble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-public-is-anold-woman-let-her-maunderand-mumble/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [Does not every true man feel that he is himself made higher by doing reverence to what is really above him?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/does-not-every-true-man-feel-that-he-is-himself-made-higher-by-doing/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [The press is the fourth estate of the realm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-press-is-the-fourth-estate-of-the-realm/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) [Explore all 917 Thomas Carlyle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-dragon/i-think-a-business-guy-is-different-from-an-artist-they-walk/) [G-Dragon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-dragon/) > [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/) [Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/) > [If you have a different mindset, you will have a different outcome: if you make different choices from your peers, your life will then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-ma/if-you-have-a-different-mindset-you-will-have-a-different-outcome-if/) [Jack Ma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-ma/) > [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/) [N.K. 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