---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Therefore, the truly great man, although…"
description: "\"Therefore, the truly great man, although he does not injure others, does not credit himself with charity and mercy (these are natural to him). He does ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/zhuangzi-1341_causes_therefore-the-truly-great-man-although-h_1504149.jpg"
---

#  Therefore, the truly great man, although he does not…

![“Therefore, the truly great man, although he does not injure others, does not credit himself with charity and mercy (these are natural to him). He does not seek gain, but does not despise his followers who do. He struggles not for wealth, but does not take credit for leaving it alone... The ranks…” quote by Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/zhuangzi-1341_causes_therefore-the-truly-great-man-although-h_1504149.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/zhuangzi-1341_causes_therefore-the-truly-great-man-although-h_1504149.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d55/zhuangzi-1341_causes_therefore-the-truly-great-man-although-h_1504149.jpg)

> “Therefore, the truly great man, although he does not injure others, does not credit himself with charity and mercy (these are natural to him). He does not seek gain, but does not despise his followers who do. He struggles not for wealth, but does not take credit for leaving it alone... The ranks and emoluments of the world are to him no cause for joy, it's punishments and shame no cause for disgrace.”

[Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/)

## About This Quote

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

A truly great person acts without seeking praise, wealth, or status, viewing worldly rewards as indifferent and focusing on natural virtue.

**In simple terms:** Greatness is humility and lack of desire for reward.

Key Takeaway

Embrace humility and act without expectation of praise.

Themes

humility virtue detachment inner peace

Mood

calm reflective

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- leadership
- personal development
- ethical decision making
- conflict resolution

Key Concepts

Daoism selflessness naturalness

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you practice selfless action daily?
- What does humility look like in your work?

A Different Perspective

Even the wise may be tempted by ego or external validation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cause Disgrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cause-disgrace-5522088/) [Causes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/causes/) [Charity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/charity/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Despise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despise/) [Disgrace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disgrace/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Followers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/followers/) [Gains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gains/) [Generosity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/generosity/) [Great man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-man/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Joy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy/) [Joy Punishments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/joy-punishments-5522090/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mercy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercy/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Punishment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishment/) [Punishments Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punishments-shame-5522089/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) [Shame Cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame-cause-1983527/) [Struggle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/struggle/) [Taoism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taoism/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

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