--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Popularity is neither fame nor greatness." description: "\"Popularity is neither fame nor greatness.\" — William Hazlitt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/william-hazlitt-326_fame_popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness_2339991.png" --- # Popularity is neither fame nor greatness. ![“Popularity is neither fame nor greatness.” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/william-hazlitt-326_fame_popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness_2339991.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/william-hazlitt-326_fame_popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness_2339991.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/william-hazlitt-326_fame_popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness_2339991.png) > “Popularity is neither fame nor greatness.” [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Popularity does not equal fame or true greatness. **In simple terms:** Fame ≠ greatness. Key Takeaway Seek substance over applause. Themes fame greatness authenticity Mood critical analytical Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - career ambition - public perception - media influence Key Concepts Cultural criticism philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What defines true greatness for you? - How can you avoid chasing empty fame? A Different Perspective Popularity can be fleeting and superficial. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) [Fame Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame-greatness-4053278/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Popularity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity/) [Popularity Fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/popularity-fame-1305670/) ## Related quotes > [“Popularity, Fame or money does not mean you are a good person, but your heart, behavior, characteristics and action do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/de-philosopher-dj-kyos/popularity-fame-or-money-does-not-mean-you-are-a-good-person-but-your/) [De philosopher DJ Kyos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/de-philosopher-dj-kyos/) > [“There is no instant anything. Overnight success is a lie. That lie is just one of many lies that youth want to believe, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-t-sneed/there-is-no-instant-anything-overnight-success-is-a-lie-that-lie-is/) [Mark T. Sneed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-t-sneed/) > [I am desperate for attention. But everyone else is too. Everyone has fantasies of fame and greatness. Life for most people is a process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-horsley/i-am-desperate-for-attention-but-everyone-else-is-too-everyone-has/) [Sebastian Horsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-horsley/) > [Do not confuse notoriety and fame with greatness. . . . For you see, greatness is a measure of one's spirit, not a result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-glenn-finesilver/do-not-confuse-notoriety-and-fame-with-greatness-for-you-see/) [Sherman Glenn Finesilver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-glenn-finesilver/) > [Every man, in judging of himself, is his own contemporary. He may feel the gale of popularity, but he cannot tell how long it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/every-man-in-judging-of-himself-is-his-own-contemporary-he-may-feel/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Popularity disarms envy in well-disposed minds. Those are ever the most ready to do justice to others who feel that the world has done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/popularity-disarms-envy-in-well-disposed-minds-those-are-ever-the/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The impression that you are a demigod worried me. I wanted to be like an ordinary human being with virtues and vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/the-impression-that-you-are-a-demigod-worried-me-i-wanted-to-be-like/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [The THE TABLOIDS are always going to be a war for POPULARITY in the CELEB world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/the-the-tabloids-are-always-going-to-be-a-war-for-popularity-in-the/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Popularity is the slutty little cousin of prestige,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/birdman/popularity-is-the-slutty-little-cousin-of-prestige/) [Birdman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/birdman/) > [Most people define greatness through wealth and popularity and position in the corner office. 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Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [“Eschew evil and it's machinations.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaachynma-n-e-agu/eschew-evil-and-it-s-machinations/) [Jaachynma N.E. Agu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaachynma-n-e-agu/) > [ The social \[media channel\] isn't about beauty contests and popularity contests. They're a distortion, a caricature of the real thing. It's about trust, connection,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umair-haque/the-social-media-channel-isn-t-about-beauty-contests-and-popularity/) [Umair Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umair-haque/) ## More by William Hazlitt > [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are thankful for good-will rather than for services, for the motive than the quantum of favor received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-thankful-for-good-will-rather-than-for-services-for-the-motive/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-discussing-the-characters-and-foibles-of-common-friends-is-a/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Want of principle is power. Truth and honesty set a limit to our efforts, which impudence and hypocrisy easily overleap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/want-of-principle-is-power-truth-and-honesty-set-a-limit-to-our/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Repose is as necessary in conversation as in a picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/repose-is-as-necessary-in-conversation-as-in-a-picture/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [No act terminating in itself constitutes greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/no-act-terminating-in-itself-constitutes-greatness/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Vice is man's nature: virtue is a habit--or a mask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/vice-is-man-s-nature-virtue-is-a-habit-or-a-mask/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-never-do-anything-well-till-we-cease-to-think-about-the-manner/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-weeps-for-he-is-the-only/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/those-who-have-had-none-of-the-cares-of-this-life-to-harass-and/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [We are not satisfied to be right, unless we can prove others to be quite wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-not-satisfied-to-be-right-unless-we-can-prove-others-to-be/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-world-judge-of-men-by-their-ability-in-their-profession-and-we/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-best-part-of-our-lives-we-pass-in-counting-on-what-is-to-come/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) [Explore all 671 William Hazlitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) ## More Fame quotes > [Most celebrated men live in a condition of prostitution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/most-celebrated-men-live-in-a-condition-of-prostitution/) [Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-augustin-sainte-beuve/) > [I don't want to be famous famous. I'm happy on the second tier, where I have autonomy on a professional level but I can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-reece/i-don-t-want-to-be-famous-famous-i-m-happy-on-the-second-tier-where-i/) [Gabrielle Reece](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-reece/) > [Some people say that 'Drag Race' is about glory and immortalizing yourself in the Hall of Fame. For me, it's about shaking RuPaul down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trixie-mattel/some-people-say-that-drag-race-is-about-glory-and-immortalizing/) [Trixie Mattel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trixie-mattel/) > [The News of the World made me more famous than being in Atomic Kitten.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-katona/the-news-of-the-world-made-me-more-famous-than-being-in-atomic-kitten/) [Kerry Katona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-katona/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [Five World Series rings, 3000-plus hits, the fame, the fortune and playing for the second most historic franchise in baseball... These are just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/five-world-series-rings-3000-plus-hits-the-fame-the-fortune-and/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [There's nothing like getting feedback that's positive and supportive. That's what I'm all about. I'm really just genuinely doing good music. I'm not looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffany-villarreal/there-s-nothing-like-getting-feedback-that-s-positive-and-supportive/) [Tiffany Villarreal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffany-villarreal/) > [Don't crave fame, do what you do and just apply. I don't think many of them here today are that interested in fashion. Perhaps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-wilson/don-t-crave-fame-do-what-you-do-and-just-apply-i-don-t-think-many-of/) [Louise Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-wilson/) > [If I had never gotten famous or rich, I think I'd be equally neurotic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-romano/if-i-had-never-gotten-famous-or-rich-i-think-i-d-be-equally-neurotic/) [Ray Romano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-romano/) > [Unfortunately, celebrity is a powerful thing. It can influence people, but if it can influence people in a good way, then that's a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-furnish/unfortunately-celebrity-is-a-powerful-thing-it-can-influence-people/) [David Furnish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-furnish/) > [I think you either live a real life or you live a weird celebrity pseudolife.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-michelle-gellar/i-think-you-either-live-a-real-life-or-you-live-a-weird-celebrity/) [Sarah Michelle Gellar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-michelle-gellar/) > [I am uninterested in Jennifer Aniston's take on anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-dillon/i-am-uninterested-in-jennifer-aniston-s-take-on-anything/) [Tim Dillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-dillon/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [I don't want to have anything to do with that: just the fame without personal respect for your privacy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/i-don-t-want-to-have-anything-to-do-with-that-just-the-fame-without/) [Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/) > [I wanted to have money; I wanted to be special; I wanted people to like me; I wanted to be famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-degeneres/i-wanted-to-have-money-i-wanted-to-be-special-i-wanted-people-to-like/) [Ellen DeGeneres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-degeneres/) [Browse all 6,971 Fame quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fame/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Popularity is neither fame nor greatness.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Hazlitt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fame" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/william-hazlitt-326_fame_popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness_2339991.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/william-hazlitt-326_fame_popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness_2339991.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/william-hazlitt-326_fame_popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness_2339991.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Popularity is neither fame nor greatness.” — William Hazlitt", "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 Hazlitt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Popularity is neither fame nor greatness.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/popularity-is-neither-fame-nor-greatness/#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 } } ] } ```