--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is seldom more manly than when he…" description: "\"A man is seldom more manly than when he is what you call unmanned,--the source of his emotion is championship, pity, and courage; the instinctive desir..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_championship_a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he_347380.jpg" --- # A man is seldom more manly than when he is what you call… ![“A man is seldom more manly than when he is what you call unmanned,--the source of his emotion is championship, pity, and courage; the instinctive desire to cherish those who are innocent and unhappy, and defend those who are tender and weak.” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_championship_a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he_347380.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_championship_a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he_347380.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_championship_a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he_347380.jpg) > “A man is seldom more manly than when he is what you call unmanned,--the source of his emotion is championship, pity, and courage; the instinctive desire to cherish those who are innocent and unhappy, and defend those who are tender and weak.” [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes a man’s true masculinity as caring for the vulnerable, driven by compassion and courage rather than dominance. **In simple terms:** Real strength is caring for the weak. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy and protect the vulnerable. Themes masculinity compassion courage Mood reflective serious Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - parenting - leadership - advocacy - community service Key Concepts humanism ethics Questions to Reflect On - How can you model compassionate leadership? - What barriers exist to showing vulnerability? A Different Perspective Societal norms may still value aggression over tenderness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Championship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/championship/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Manly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/manly/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Pity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pity/) [Tears](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tears/) [Unhappy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappy/) ## Related quotes > [A gentleman, is a rarer thing than some of us think for. Which of us can point out many such in his circle--men whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-gentleman-is-a-rarer-thing-than-some-of-us-think-for-which-of-us/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Every man ought to be in love a few times in his life, and to have a smart attack of the fever. You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/every-man-ought-to-be-in-love-a-few-times-in-his-life-and-to-have-a/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“…he is invariably a kind of super-size but unmistakably ‘classical’ neurotic, an aberrant who only occasionally, and never deeply, wishes to surrender his aberration;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/he-is-invariably-a-kind-of-super-size-but-unmistakably-classical/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [Many a one commits a reprehensible action, who is at bottom an honourable man, because man seldom acts upon natural impulse, but from some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/many-a-one-commits-a-reprehensible-action-who-is-at-bottom-an/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“Man is seldom judged on the basis of his good deeds. If bad in past the good in present doesn’t matter ; if bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehnaz-ansari/man-is-seldom-judged-on-the-basis-of-his-good-deeds-if-bad-in-past/) Mehnaz Ansari > [Man can seldom - very, very, seldom - fight a winning fight against his training; the odds are too heavy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/man-can-seldom-very-very-seldom-fight-a-winning-fight-against-his/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“The reason that man is seldom satisfied with his salary is that when it increases, he increases his expenses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/the-reason-that-man-is-seldom-satisfied-with-his-salary-is-that-when/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [A honest man is seldom a vagrant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cato-the-younger/a-honest-man-is-seldom-a-vagrant/) [Cato the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cato-the-younger/) > [Youth is the period of harsh judgments, and a man seldom learns until he reaches thirty that human nature is made up not of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-glasgow/youth-is-the-period-of-harsh-judgments-and-a-man-seldom-learns-until/) [Ellen Glasgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-glasgow/) > [Experience is a poor guide to man, and is seldom followed. What really teaches a man is not experience, but observation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/experience-is-a-poor-guide-to-man-and-is-seldom-followed-what-really/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A brave man is seldom unkind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pretty-shield/a-brave-man-is-seldom-unkind/) Pretty Shield > [Character is tested by true sentiments more than by conduct. A man is seldom better than his word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/character-is-tested-by-true-sentiments-more-than-by-conduct-a-man-is/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [A just chastisement may benefit a man, though it seldom does; but an unjust one changes all his blood to gall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ouida/a-just-chastisement-may-benefit-a-man-though-it-seldom-does-but-an/) [Ouida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ouida/) > [He that pines with hunger, is in little care how others shall be fed. The poor man is seldom studious to make his grandson…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/he-that-pines-with-hunger-is-in-little-care-how-others-shall-be-fed/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [A man seldom thinks of marrying when he meets his ideal woman; he waits until he gets the marrying fever and then idealizes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-rowland/a-man-seldom-thinks-of-marrying-when-he-meets-his-ideal-woman-he/) [Helen Rowland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-rowland/) ## More by William Makepeace Thackeray > [“To those great geniuses now in petticoats, who shall write novels for the beloved reader's children, these men and things will be as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-those-great-geniuses-now-in-petticoats-who-shall-write-novels-for/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Let a man who has to make his fortune in life remember this maxim: Attacking is the only secret. Dare and the world yields,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/let-a-man-who-has-to-make-his-fortune-in-life-remember-this-maxim/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [As nature made every man with a nose and eyes of his own, she gave him a character of his own, too; and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/as-nature-made-every-man-with-a-nose-and-eyes-of-his-own-she-gave-him/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [It is best to love wisely, no doubt; but to love foolishly is better than not to be able to love at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/it-is-best-to-love-wisely-no-doubt-but-to-love-foolishly-is-better/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Diffidence is a sort of false modesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/diffidence-is-a-sort-of-false-modesty/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Our great thoughts, our great affections, the truths of our life, never leave us. Surely they can not separate from our consciousness, shall follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/our-great-thoughts-our-great-affections-the-truths-of-our-life-never/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Charming Alnaschar visions! it is the happy privilege of youth to construct you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/charming-alnaschar-visions-it-is-the-happy-privilege-of-youth-to/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [To see a young couple loving each other is no wonder; but to see an old couple loving each other is the best sight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/to-see-a-young-couple-loving-each-other-is-no-wonder-but-to-see-an/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [An immense percentage of snobs, I believe, is to be found in every rank of this mortal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/an-immense-percentage-of-snobs-i-believe-is-to-be-found-in-every-rank/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Vanity is often the unseen spur.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/vanity-is-often-the-unseen-spur/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [A good laugh is sunshine in the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-good-laugh-is-sunshine-in-the-house/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Novelty has charms that our minds can hardly withstand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/novelty-has-charms-that-our-minds-can-hardly-withstand/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [“Picture to yourself, O fair young reader, a worldly, selfish, graceless, thankless, religionless old woman, writhing in pain and fear, and without her wig.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/picture-to-yourself-o-fair-young-reader-a-worldly-selfish-graceless/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Certain opuscules, denominated 'Christmas Books,' with the ostensible intention of swelling the tide of exhilaration, or other expansive emotions, incident upon the exodus of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/certain-opuscules-denominated-christmas-books-with-the-ostensible/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) [Explore all 384 William Makepeace Thackeray quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) ## More Championship quotes > [ I failed, I think, seven \[or\] eight times before I finally got my first \[championship\]. It was just, you know, just about me growing… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaquille-o-neal/i-failed-i-think-seven-or-eight-times-before-i-finally-got-my-first/) [Shaquille O'Neal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaquille-o-neal/) > [I have wrestled in almost every tournament in the world. I've won the Olympics, NCAAs, and World Championships, but none of those can truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordan-burroughs/i-have-wrestled-in-almost-every-tournament-in-the-world-i-ve-won-the/) [Jordan Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordan-burroughs/) > [The reason I went to an all-boys Catholic school was because they had the best football team. We won the state championship my junior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theo-rossi/the-reason-i-went-to-an-all-boys-catholic-school-was-because-they-had/) [Theo Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theo-rossi/) > [Generally speaking, ROH championship matches are hard fought and grueling, and the fans are really into it. The ROH Championship means a lot to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-cole/generally-speaking-roh-championship-matches-are-hard-fought-and/) [Adam Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-cole/) > [My whole thing when I got in the NBA was I want to win a championship. The mindset hasn't changed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bam-adebayo/my-whole-thing-when-i-got-in-the-nba-was-i-want-to-win-a-championship/) [Bam Adebayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bam-adebayo/) > [In over 160 years of recorded baseball history, no team had ever won a championship this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-thorn/in-over-160-years-of-recorded-baseball-history-no-team-had-ever-won-a/) [John Thorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-thorn/) > [I probably should've listened to Michael a year ago when he said that Charles will never win a championship because he doesn't show any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scottie-pippen/i-probably-should-ve-listened-to-michael-a-year-ago-when-he-said-that/) [Scottie Pippen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scottie-pippen/) > [One day we'll have championship boxing in Cleveland and people will support it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-porter/one-day-we-ll-have-championship-boxing-in-cleveland-and-people-will/) [Shawn Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-porter/) > [My biggest regret is that I wasn't able to help give our fans a championship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/calvin-johnson/my-biggest-regret-is-that-i-wasn-t-able-to-help-give-our-fans-a/) [Calvin Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/calvin-johnson/) > [Two beautiful women crashing and burning for the sake of the Women's Championship!!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-ross/two-beautiful-women-crashing-and-burning-for-the-sake-of-the-women-s/) [Jim Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-ross/) > [I got everything I wanted out of Texas. Obviously, you'd love to win more. You'd love to win a national championship and compete at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-bamba/i-got-everything-i-wanted-out-of-texas-obviously-you-d-love-to-win/) [Mohamed Bamba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-bamba/) > [When I wrestled Randy Orton, that was probably the biggest match of my career at that point, because that was when I had the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/when-i-wrestled-randy-orton-that-was-probably-the-biggest-match-of-my/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [The Russians have held my title for ten years and they're going to be in for it when I win the Championship. They're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/the-russians-have-held-my-title-for-ten-years-and-they-re-going-to-be/) [Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/) > [As you get older, every chance to win a championship is more crucial, because you are going to have less and less of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-west/as-you-get-older-every-chance-to-win-a-championship-is-more-crucial/) [Jerry West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-west/) > [It will be a hard game if you think about winning a championship. We need to think about our own game at the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-bergkamp/it-will-be-a-hard-game-if-you-think-about-winning-a-championship-we/) [Dennis Bergkamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-bergkamp/) [Browse all 1,448 Championship quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/championship/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A man is seldom more manly than when he is what you call unmanned,--the source of his emotion is championship, pity, and courage; the instinctive desire to cherish those who are innocent and unhappy, and defend those who are tender and weak.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Makepeace Thackeray" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he-is-what-you-call-unmanned-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Championship" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he-is-what-you-call-unmanned-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_championship_a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he_347380.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_championship_a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he_347380.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc2/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_championship_a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he_347380.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A man is seldom more manly than when he is what you call unmanned,--the source of his emotion is…” — William Makepeace Thackeray", "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 Makepeace Thackeray", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A man is seldom more manly...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he-is-what-you-call-unmanned-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/a-man-is-seldom-more-manly-than-when-he-is-what-you-call-unmanned-the/#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 } } ] } ```