---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In order to become a great man, one must…"
description: "\"In order to become a great man, one must first be a great rascal.\" — Winston Churchill"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/winston-churchill-95_firsts_in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must_130918.jpg"
---

#  In order to become a great man, one must first be a great…

![“In order to become a great man, one must first be a great rascal.” quote by Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/winston-churchill-95_firsts_in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must_130918.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/winston-churchill-95_firsts_in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must_130918.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/winston-churchill-95_firsts_in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must_130918.jpg)

> “In order to become a great man, one must first be a great rascal.”

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Greatness often requires embracing a mischievous edge, challenging norms before achieving respect.

**In simple terms:** Being a bit mischievous can lead to greatness.

Key Takeaway

Balance boldness with responsibility.

Themes

greatness rebellion character growth leadership

Mood

defiant inspirational

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- entrepreneurship
- politics
- creative arts
- social activism

Key Concepts

risk-taking ethical ambiguity personal development

Questions to Reflect On

- What “rascal” traits help you grow?
- When does rebellion become harmful?

A Different Perspective

Mischief can alienate allies.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Great Rascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-rascal-1501342/) [Greatness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greatness/) [Man Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-great/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Rascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rascal/) [Rascals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rascals/)

## Related quotes

> [“Unless one is at heart a rascal, I think he becomes a little better in many ways by assuming leadership.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-l-amour/unless-one-is-at-heart-a-rascal-i-think-he-becomes-a-little-better-in/)

[Louis L'Amour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-l-amour/)

> [Away, you cut-purse rascal! you filthy bung, away! By this wine, I'll thrust my knife in your mouldy chaps, an you play the saucy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/away-you-cut-purse-rascal-you-filthy-bung-away-by-this-wine-i-ll/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [When a man makes up his mind to become a rascal, he should examine himself closely and see if he isn't better constructed for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/when-a-man-makes-up-his-mind-to-become-a-rascal-he-should-examine/)

[Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/)

> [Me, I'm still a rascal. Inside, I am still the kid I was. He guides me everyday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-kaulitz/me-i-m-still-a-rascal-inside-i-am-still-the-kid-i-was-he-guides-me/)

[Tom Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-kaulitz/)

> [But a rascal of a child (that age is without pity). \[Fr., Mais un pripon d'enfant (cet age est sans pitie).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-fontaine/but-a-rascal-of-a-child-that-age-is-without-pity-fr-mais-un-pripon-d/)

[Jean de La Fontaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-fontaine/)

> [Hang him, swaggering rascal!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/hang-him-swaggering-rascal/)

[William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/)

> [I'm not nearly as outrageously brave as many of my rascals that I write. But I think the rascal spirit must reside in me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/i-m-not-nearly-as-outrageously-brave-as-many-of-my-rascals-that-i/)

[Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/)

> [When I hear that a man is religious, I conclude he is a rascal!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hume/when-i-hear-that-a-man-is-religious-i-conclude-he-is-a-rascal/)

[David Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hume/)

> [This rascal ego must be obliterated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/this-rascal-ego-must-be-obliterated/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> [Every man of any education would rather be called a rascal, than accused of deficiency in the graces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/every-man-of-any-education-would-rather-be-called-a-rascal-than/)

[Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/)

> [Yeah, Dizzee Rascal is a huge influence on what I'm doing. I learnt a lot from him even though he's younger than me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-brown/yeah-dizzee-rascal-is-a-huge-influence-on-what-i-m-doing-i-learnt-a/)

[Danny Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-brown/)

> [The first clergyman was the first rascal who met the first fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/the-first-clergyman-was-the-first-rascal-who-met-the-first-fool/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Every rascal is not a thief, but every thief is a rascal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/every-rascal-is-not-a-thief-but-every-thief-is-a-rascal/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [The great man is not so great as folks think, and the dull man is not quite so stupid as he seems. The difference…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/the-great-man-is-not-so-great-as-folks-think-and-the-dull-man-is-not/)

[Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/)

> [Power will go to the hands of rascals, rogues, freebooters; all Indian leaders will be of low calibre &amp; men of straw. They will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/power-will-go-to-the-hands-of-rascals-rogues-freebooters-all-indian/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

## More by Winston Churchill

> [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [This is no time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/this-is-no-time-for-ease-and-comfort-it-is-time-to-dare-and-endure/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [If I had been an Italian I am sure that I should have been whole-heartedly with you from the start to finish in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/if-i-had-been-an-italian-i-am-sure-that-i-should-have-been-whole/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Never, never, never give up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/never-never-never-give-up/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most times he will pick himself up and carry on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/man-will-occasionally-stumble-over-the-truth-but-most-times-he-will/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [God alone knows how great it is. All I hope is that it is not too late. I am very much afraid that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/god-alone-knows-how-great-it-is-all-i-hope-is-that-it-is-not-too-late/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [When you're 20 you care what everyone thinks, when you're 40 you stop caring what everyone thinks, when you're 60 you realize no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/when-you-re-20-you-care-what-everyone-thinks-when-you-re-40-you-stop/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [Writing a book is an adventure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/writing-a-book-is-an-adventure/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/all-men-make-mistakes-but-only-wise-men-learn-from-their-mistakes/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [People who are not prepared to do unpopular things and defy the clamor of the multitude are not fit to be ministers in time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/people-who-are-not-prepared-to-do-unpopular-things-and-defy-the/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [To meet Roosevelt with all his buoyant sparkle, his iridescence, was like opening a bottle of champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/to-meet-roosevelt-with-all-his-buoyant-sparkle-his-iridescence-was/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-am-always-ready-to-learn-although-i-do-not-always-like-being-taught/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

> [There are plenty of good ideas, if only they can be backed with the power of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/there-are-plenty-of-good-ideas-if-only-they-can-be-backed-with-the/)

[Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

[Explore all 1,366 Winston Churchill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/)

## More Firsts quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [My first ever job after college was as a flight attendant. I wanted to travel and could not afford it, so I decided to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-winspear/my-first-ever-job-after-college-was-as-a-flight-attendant-i-wanted-to/)

[Jacqueline Winspear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-winspear/)

> [Since I worked with Danny Boyle before on Slumdog Millionaire, we have great success and everything. So, when I first got the script and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/since-i-worked-with-danny-boyle-before-on-slumdog-millionaire-we-have/)

[A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/)

> [You sort of can't talk about the post production unless you talk about what comes first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-greengrass/you-sort-of-can-t-talk-about-the-post-production-unless-you-talk/)

[Paul Greengrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-greengrass/)

> [I'm a business first and foremost so whatever my business is, it's separate from my personal. It's like whatever I do business wise, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/i-m-a-business-first-and-foremost-so-whatever-my-business-is-it-s/)

[Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/)

> [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/)

[Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/)

> [I did not know that the planning for biological and chemical warfare was so widespread in England, and even in France before France fell.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/i-did-not-know-that-the-planning-for-biological-and-chemical-warfare/)

[Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [When I first started, my message was about joy, but I didn't really have the vocabulary and life experience to fully deliver it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/when-i-first-started-my-message-was-about-joy-but-i-didn-t-really/)

[Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/)

> [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/)

[Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/)

> [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. Remember, under a Trump administration it's called America first. Remember that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/we-need-a-system-that-serves-our-needs-not-the-needs-of-others/)

[Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/)

> [The U.S.-Mexican border es un herida abierta where the Third World grates against the first and bleeds. And before a scab forms it hemorrhages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/the-u-s-mexican-border-es-un-herida-abierta-where-the-third-world/)

[Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/)

> [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/)

[Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/)

> [Peace is the first thing the angels sang. Peace is the mark of the children of God. Peace is the nurse of love. Peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-i/peace-is-the-first-thing-the-angels-sang-peace-is-the-mark-of-the/)

[Pope Leo I](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-i/)

[Browse all 32,432 Firsts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "In order to become a great man, one must first  be a great rascal.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Winston Churchill"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must-first-be-a-great-rascal/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Firsts"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must-first-be-a-great-rascal/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/winston-churchill-95_firsts_in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must_130918.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/winston-churchill-95_firsts_in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must_130918.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/93f/winston-churchill-95_firsts_in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must_130918.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“In order to become a great man, one must first be a great rascal.” — Winston Churchill",
                "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": "Winston Churchill",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "In order to become a great...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must-first-be-a-great-rascal/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/in-order-to-become-a-great-man-one-must-first-be-a-great-rascal/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
