--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Strive for that greatness of spirit that…" description: "\"Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities.\" — W. E. B. Du Bois" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_disappointment_strive-for-that-greatness-of-spirit-that_2289340.png" --- # Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not… ![“Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities.” quote by W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_disappointment_strive-for-that-greatness-of-spirit-that_2289340.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_disappointment_strive-for-that-greatness-of-spirit-that_2289340.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfb/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_disappointment_strive-for-that-greatness-of-spirit-that_2289340.png) > “Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities.” [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Aim for a spirit that judges life by possibilities, not disappointments. **In simple terms:** Measure life by possibilities, not setbacks. Key Takeaway Cultivate an optimistic mindset. Themes optimism resilience philosophy self‑actualization Mood inspirational hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - goal setting - overcoming adversity - personal development - creative pursuits Key Concepts existentialism positive psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance hope with practical planning? - What practices nurture a possibility‑focused outlook? A Different Perspective Focusing only on possibilities may ignore realistic risks. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [Kobe Bryant used his platform to inspire millions and help kids around the world achieve success and strive for greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-steel/kobe-bryant-used-his-platform-to-inspire-millions-and-help-kids/) [Michelle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-steel/) > [I've been through so much but believe me I've come out a better person. I strive for greatness because I believe that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-been-through-so-much-but-believe-me-i-ve-come-out-a-better/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We strive for greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-biles/we-strive-for-greatness/) [Simone Biles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-biles/) > [“❤I shall no longer fear what's on the roads ahead of me...nor shall I be in despair about what I left behind. I shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-pina/i-shall-no-longer-fear-what-s-on-the-roads-ahead-of-me-nor-shall-i-be/) [Timothy Pina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-pina/) > [Aspire for progress, hunger for success, and strive for greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inknonw/aspire-for-progress-hunger-for-success-and-strive-for-greatness/) Inknonw > [The greatest lesson I've learned is that you have to fight and continue to strive for greatness, as nothing great ever comes easily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/the-greatest-lesson-i-ve-learned-is-that-you-have-to-fight-and/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) > [“Great men don't strive for greatness, they simply do great works.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/great-men-don-t-strive-for-greatness-they-simply-do-great-works/) [Ifeanyi Enoch Onuoha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ifeanyi-enoch-onuoha/) > [I think it's important, no matter your profession, to never become complacent and always strive for greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mccourty/i-think-it-s-important-no-matter-your-profession-to-never-become/) [Jason McCourty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mccourty/) > [“But if modesty is interpreted not as diffidence or self-effacingness, but as non-overweening, a realistic assessment of the job to be done and one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/but-if-modesty-is-interpreted-not-as-diffidence-or-self-effacingness/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [Greatness of spirit is to bear finely both good fourtune and bad, honor and disgrace, and not to think highly of luxury or attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/greatness-of-spirit-is-to-bear-finely-both-good-fourtune-and-bad/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [“The common people only see weakness where there is greatness of spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippa-gregory/the-common-people-only-see-weakness-where-there-is-greatness-of-spirit/) [Philippa Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippa-gregory/) > [Greatness of spirit can be achieved not through wealth, power or popularity, but by living your life with quiet dignity...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aika-robredo/greatness-of-spirit-can-be-achieved-not-through-wealth-power-or/) Aika Robredo > [And have you not received faculties which will enable you to bear all that happens to you? Have you not received greatness of spirit?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/and-have-you-not-received-faculties-which-will-enable-you-to-bear-all/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Greatness of spirit is accompanied by simplicity and sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/greatness-of-spirit-is-accompanied-by-simplicity-and-sincerity/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The greatness, the spirit, it's all in me, and I want it more than anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-parsons/the-greatness-the-spirit-it-s-all-in-me-and-i-want-it-more-than/) [Micah Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-parsons/) ## More by W. E. B. Du Bois > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [As a race, the Negroes are not lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-a-race-the-negroes-are-not-lazy/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [If there is anybody in this land who thoroughly believes that the meek shall inherit the earth they have not often let their presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/if-there-is-anybody-in-this-land-who-thoroughly-believes-that-the/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools - intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/men-we-shall-have-only-as-we-make-manhood-the-object-of-the-work-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Had it not been for the race problem early thrust upon me and enveloping me, I should have probably been an unquestioning worshipper at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/had-it-not-been-for-the-race-problem-early-thrust-upon-me-and/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Before and after emancipation, the Negro, in self-defense, was propelled toward the white employer. The endowments of wealthy white men have developed great institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/before-and-after-emancipation-the-negro-in-self-defense-was-propelled/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [The use of slave women as day workers naturally broke up or made impossible the normal Negro home, and this and the slave code…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-use-of-slave-women-as-day-workers-naturally-broke-up-or-made/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Before the Civil War, the Negro was certainly as efficient a workman as the raw immigrant from Ireland or Germany. But, whereas the Irishmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/before-the-civil-war-the-negro-was-certainly-as-efficient-a-workman/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [All art is propaganda, and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/all-art-is-propaganda-and-ever-must-be-despite-the-wailing-of-the/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [The ruling of men is the effort to direct the individual actions of many persons toward some end. This end theoretically should be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-ruling-of-men-is-the-effort-to-direct-the-individual-actions-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Education is that whole system of human training within and without the school house walls, which molds and develops men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/education-is-that-whole-system-of-human-training-within-and-without/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [As Negro voting increased, Congress got an improved sense of hearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-negro-voting-increased-congress-got-an-improved-sense-of-hearing/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [From the day of its birth, the anomaly of slavery plagued a nation which asserted the equality of all men, and sought to derive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/from-the-day-of-its-birth-the-anomaly-of-slavery-plagued-a-nation/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [It is the stars, it is the ancient stars, it is the young and everlasting stars!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/it-is-the-stars-it-is-the-ancient-stars-it-is-the-young-and/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/it-is-a-peculiar-sensation-this-double-consciousness-this-sense-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) [Explore all 177 W. E. B. Du Bois quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## More Disappointment quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Disappointment contains an appointment for doing much better. High expectations mean your higher capacity and belief in abilities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tasneem-hameed/disappointment-contains-an-appointment-for-doing-much-better-high/) [Tasneem Hameed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tasneem-hameed/) > [“My earthly body has been a terrible disappointment to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/my-earthly-body-has-been-a-terrible-disappointment-to-me/) [Frédéric Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) > [The compensations of calamity are made apparent to the understanding also, after long intervals of time. A fever, a mutilation, a cruel disappointment, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-compensations-of-calamity-are-made-apparent-to-the-understanding/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The fear of not being good enough, the fear of disappointing other people and the fear of failure can really hurt one's personality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-anil-kr-sinha/the-fear-of-not-being-good-enough-the-fear-of-disappointing-other/) [Dr Anil Kr Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-anil-kr-sinha/) > [In trying not to disappoint others; we disappoint ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-vermaak/in-trying-not-to-disappoint-others-we-disappoint-ourselves/) [Geraldine Vermaak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-vermaak/) > [Though there may be people in your life that support you and encourage you we have to realize that people are only human, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anurag-prakash-ray/though-there-may-be-people-in-your-life-that-support-you-and/) [Anurag Prakash Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anurag-prakash-ray/) > [There are still many more days of failure ahead, whole seasons of failure, things will go terribly wrong, you will have huge disappointments ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/there-are-still-many-more-days-of-failure-ahead-whole-seasons-of/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [In all disappointments sympathy is a great balm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/in-all-disappointments-sympathy-is-a-great-balm/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [It is sometimes said that because of our past we, as a people, expect too much and set our sights too high. That is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/it-is-sometimes-said-that-because-of-our-past-we-as-a-people-expect/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I'm talking to anyone who has been dumped - have not gotten the job you really wanted or have received those horrible rejection letters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-abramson/i-m-talking-to-anyone-who-has-been-dumped-have-not-gotten-the-job-you/) [Jill Abramson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-abramson/) > [Think of your mind, your emotions, and your spirit as the ultimate garden. The way to ensure a bountiful, nourishing harvest is to plant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/think-of-your-mind-your-emotions-and-your-spirit-as-the-ultimate/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Stop blaming others, whatever happens to you is nobody's fault if you get hurt because of disappointment is not the end of your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemmy-nola/stop-blaming-others-whatever-happens-to-you-is-nobody-s-fault-if-you/) [Kemmy Nola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemmy-nola/) > [When disappointments knock you down, get back up and go again because out of our greatest rejection comes our greatest direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-disappointments-knock-you-down-get-back-up-and-go-again-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 2,467 Disappointment quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disappointment/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Strive for that greatness of spirit that measures life not by its disappointments but by its possibilities.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. 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