--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you weren't such a great man, you'd be…" description: "\"“If you weren't such a great man, you'd be a terrible bore.”\" — William Gladstone" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/william-gladstone-77218_great-man_if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be_1688214.jpg" --- # If you weren't such a great man, you'd be a terrible bore. ![“If you weren't such a great man, you'd be a terrible bore.” quote by William Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/william-gladstone-77218_great-man_if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be_1688214.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/william-gladstone-77218_great-man_if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be_1688214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/william-gladstone-77218_great-man_if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be_1688214.jpg) > ““If you weren't such a great man, you'd be a terrible bore.”” [William Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gladstone/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If you’re not great, you become boring; greatness prevents dullness. **In simple terms:** Being great avoids being boring. Key Takeaway Strive for excellence to stay interesting. Themes excellence boring greatness identity Mood inspirational critical Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career development - public speaking - creative work Key Concepts self‑improvement social perception Questions to Reflect On - What makes a person great? - How can you stay engaging without ego? A Different Perspective Greatness is subjective and hard to define. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bore/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Man Terrible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-terrible-1027565/) [Terrible Bore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrible-bore-1027566/) [Weren Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weren-great-1027567/) ## Related quotes > [The Rum Turn Tugger is a terrible bore: When you let him in, then he wants to be out; He's always on the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/the-rum-turn-tugger-is-a-terrible-bore-when-you-let-him-in-then-he/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [If it's a terrible script, it's a terrible bore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/if-it-s-a-terrible-script-it-s-a-terrible-bore/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) > [The mouth of a man is a terrible opening and his tongue is a terrible fire dragon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-mouth-of-a-man-is-a-terrible-opening-and-his-tongue-is-a-terrible/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Seeing a good girl in the hands of bad man is a terrible sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-captain/seeing-a-good-girl-in-the-hands-of-bad-man-is-a-terrible-sight/) [Shawn Captain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-captain/) > [One night and one more time. Thanks for the memories even though they weren't so great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fall-out-boy/one-night-and-one-more-time-thanks-for-the-memories-even-though-they/) [Fall Out Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fall-out-boy/) > [The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/the-laughter-of-man-is-more-terrible-than-his-tears-and-takes-more/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [The greats weren't great because at birth they could paint The greats were great because they paint a lot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/the-greats-weren-t-great-because-at-birth-they-could-paint-the-greats/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) > [They weren't great pictures, but they were fun, and they really represented that period of time well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-avalon/they-weren-t-great-pictures-but-they-were-fun-and-they-really/) [Frankie Avalon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-avalon/) > [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/) > [“But the mark of a great man is one who knows when to set aside the important things in order to accomplish the vital…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/but-the-mark-of-a-great-man-is-one-who-knows-when-to-set-aside-the/) [Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/) > [A great man isn't the one who can show all his greatness, but great man is the one who can show his Humility upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-great-man-isn-t-the-one-who-can-show-all-his-greatness-but-great/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [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/) > [To vilify a great man is the readiest way in which a little man can himself attain greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/to-vilify-a-great-man-is-the-readiest-way-in-which-a-little-man-can/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) ## More by William Gladstone > [“No man ever became great without many and great mistakes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gladstone/no-man-ever-became-great-without-many-and-great-mistakes/) [William Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gladstone/) > [“I was brought up to hate and fear liberty. I came to love it. That is the secret of my whole career.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gladstone/i-was-brought-up-to-hate-and-fear-liberty-i-came-to-love-it-that-is/) [William Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gladstone/) [Explore all 3 William Gladstone quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gladstone/) ## More Bore quotes > [It's a bore - B-O-R-E - when you find you've begun to rot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/it-s-a-bore-b-o-r-e-when-you-find-you-ve-begun-to-rot/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [The distinctions of fine art bore me to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/the-distinctions-of-fine-art-bore-me-to-death/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [He was not only a bore; he bored for England.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-muggeridge/he-was-not-only-a-bore-he-bored-for-england/) [Malcolm Muggeridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-muggeridge/) > [A bore is someone who takes away my solitude and doesn't give me companionship in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/a-bore-is-someone-who-takes-away-my-solitude-and-doesn-t-give-me/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The way to be a bore is to say everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-way-to-be-a-bore-is-to-say-everything/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“We all bore scars, whether on the outside or in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillie-cole/we-all-bore-scars-whether-on-the-outside-or-in/) [Tillie Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillie-cole/) > [Bore : A fellow who can change the subject back to his topic of conversation faster than you can change it back to yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-j-peter/bore-a-fellow-who-can-change-the-subject-back-to-his-topic-of/) [Laurence J. Peter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-j-peter/) > [One of the advantages of appearing in such a play is that you begin to understand it properly, I feel Ophelia's tragedy was that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalla-ward/one-of-the-advantages-of-appearing-in-such-a-play-is-that-you-begin/) [Lalla Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalla-ward/) > [Characters develop as the book progresses, but any that start to bore me end up in the wastepaper basket. In real life, we may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-graham/characters-develop-as-the-book-progresses-but-any-that-start-to-bore/) [Laurie Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-graham/) > [We all denounce bores, but while we do so, let us remember that there is nobody who isn't a bore to somebody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-spender/we-all-denounce-bores-but-while-we-do-so-let-us-remember-that-there/) [J. A. Spender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-spender/) > [“The young will never know how recklessly we went from bed to bed, from body to body, from night to night. it all, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/the-young-will-never-know-how-recklessly-we-went-from-bed-to-bed-from/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [He is an old bore. Even the grave yawns for him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-beerbohm-tree/he-is-an-old-bore-even-the-grave-yawns-for-him/) [Herbert Beerbohm Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-beerbohm-tree/) > [People like Ian McEwan and Jonathan Franzen completely bore me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-shields/people-like-ian-mcewan-and-jonathan-franzen-completely-bore-me/) [David Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-shields/) > [Bore: a person who talks when you wish him to listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/bore-a-person-who-talks-when-you-wish-him-to-listen/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“Be bold, don't be boring.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/be-bold-don-t-be-boring/) [Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/) [Browse all 169 Bore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bore/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If you weren't such a great man, you'd be a terrible bore.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Gladstone" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gladstone/if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be-a-terrible-bore/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bore" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gladstone/if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be-a-terrible-bore/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/william-gladstone-77218_great-man_if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be_1688214.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/william-gladstone-77218_great-man_if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be_1688214.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24e/william-gladstone-77218_great-man_if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be_1688214.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you weren't such a great man, you'd be a terrible bore.” — William Gladstone", "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": "William Gladstone", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gladstone/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If you weren't such a great...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gladstone/if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be-a-terrible-bore/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gladstone/if-you-weren-t-such-a-great-man-you-d-be-a-terrible-bore/#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 } } ] } ```