Emotional-plague Quote by Wilhelm Reich
““You differ from a great man in only one respect: the great man was once a very little man, but he developed one important quality: he recognized the smallness and narrowness of his thoughts and actions. Under the pressure of some task that meant a great deal to him, he learned to see how his smallness, his pettiness endangered his happiness. In other words, a great man knows when and in what way he is a little man. A little man does not know he is little and is afraid to know. He hides his pettiness and narrowness behind illusions of strength and greatness, someone else's strength and greatness. He's proud of his great generals but not of himself. He admires an idea he has not had, not one he has had. The less he understands something, the more firmly he believes in it. And the better he understands an idea, the less he believes in it.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Function of the Orgasm, 1927
Greatness involves recognizing one's own smallness and avoiding pretensions; true insight reduces dogmatic belief.
In simple terms: Great people see their own flaws and stay humble.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate humility and critical thinking.
Themes
humility
self‑knowledge
critical thinking
growth
Mood
thoughtful
philosophical
Type
advice
reflection
When to use this quote
- leadership
- personal development
- education
Key Concepts
ego
illusion of greatness
dogmatism
Questions to Reflect On
- What smallness do you deny?
- How does humility affect decision making?
A Different Perspective
Blind confidence can block self‑improvement.
