Small Man Quotes

• The small man thinks that small acts of goodness are of no benefit, and does not do them; and that small deeds of evil do no harm, and does not refrain from them. Hence, his wickedness becomes so great that it cannot be concealed, and his guilt so great that it cannot be pardoned.

  Confucius

  Men, Thinking, Small Acts

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  A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.

  Confucius

  Men, Great Men, Hard

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• A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias.
  The small man is biased and can see a question only from one side.

  Confucius

  Men, Gentleman, Sides

  Confucius “The Analects”, W. W. Norton & Company

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• When small men attempt great enterprises, they always end by reducing them to the level of their mediocrity.

  Napoleon Bonaparte

  Live Life, Men, Mediocrity

  Napoleon Bonaparte “Napoleon in his own words from the French of Jules Bertaut”, Рипол Классик

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• Ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow.

  George R. R. Martin

  Men, Shadow, Thrones

  George R. R. Martin (2012). “George R. R. Martin's A Game of Thrones 5-Book Boxed Set (Song of Ice and Fire Series): A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, and and A Dance with Dragons”, p.810, Bantam

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  This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

  Neil Armstrong

  Motivational, Positive, Moon

  In New York Times 31 July 1969, p. 20

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• The gentleman is calm and at ease. The gentleman is dignified but not proud; the small man is proud but not dignified.

  Confucius

  Men, Gentleman, Ease

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  Small men, seeking great wealth or power, have too often and too long turned even the highest levels of public service into mere personal opportunity.

  Barry Goldwater

  Opportunity, Men, Long

  Speech Accepting the Republican Presidential Nomination, delivered 16 July 1964, San Francisco

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• The gentleman calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call attention to their defects. The small man does just the reverse of this.

  Confucius

  Men, Gentleman, Doe

  Confucius “The Analects”, W. W. Norton & Company

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• A man without a sense of purpose, even one whose bank accounts are stuffed with money, is always a small man.

  Stephen King

  Men, Purpose, Bank Accounts

  Stephen King (2014). “Under the Dome: Part 1: A Novel”, p.462, Simon and Schuster

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• Politics is ugly. Never doubt what small men will do for great power.

  Paolo Bacigalupi

  Men, Doubt, Ugly

  "The Windup Girl". Book by Paolo Bacigalupi, 2009.

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• I am for the small man who has not forgotten, for the man who loves his beer and his women and his sunlight

  Charles Bukowski

  Beer, Men, Forgotten

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  Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it.

  Muhammad Ali

  Inspirational, Change, Power

  Muhammad Ali (2016). “Muhammad Ali Unfiltered: Rare, Iconic, and Officially Authorized Photos of the Greatest”, p.118, Simon and Schuster

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• Small men oft feel a need to prove their courage with unseemly boasts," he declared. "I doubt if he could kill a duck." Tyrion shrugged. "Fetch the duck.

  George R. R. Martin

  Men, Ducks, Doubt

  George R. R. Martin (2011). “A Dance with Dragons: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book Five”, p.137, Bantam

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• To a small man every greater is an exaggeration.

  Henry David Thoreau

  Men, Exaggeration Is, Greater

  Henry David Thoreau (2013). “The Selected Essays of Henry David Thoreau”, p.95, Simon and Schuster

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• All small men, all non-power hitters, must learn to bunt well. It's half your game.

  Nellie Fox

  Men, Games, Half

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• When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set.

  Lin Yutang

  Business, Mean, Men

  "Hard-to-Solve Cryptograms" by Derrick Niederman, (p. 96), 2001.

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• The end of the day is near when small men make long shadows.

  Confucius

  Men, Long, The End Of The Day

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• You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot lift the wage-earner by pulling down the wage-payer. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending

  William J. H. Boetcker

  Strong, Men, Libertarian

  "The Industrial Decalogue" (1916). These "ten cannots" are frequently, but falsely, attributed to Abraham Lincoln.

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• The proper man understands equity, the small man profits.

  Confucius

  Education, Men, Profit

  Confucius (1956). “Confucian analects”, Commodius Vicus

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• The gentleman sees what is right while the small man sees what is profitable.

  Confucius

  Men, Gentleman, Profitable

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• The small man builds cages for everyone he knows While the sage, who has to duck his head when the moon is low, Keeps dropping keys all night long For the beautiful rowdy prisoners.

  Hafez

  Beautiful, Spiritual, Wisdom

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• It is now conceded that all idea of British intervention is at an end... I want to hug the army of the Potomac. I want to get the whole army of Vicksburg drunk at my own expense. I want to fight some small man and lick him.

  Henry Adams

  War, Fighting, Army

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• That big guy, Winfield, at 6'6", can do things only a small man can do.

  Jerry Coleman

  Funny, Baseball, Humor

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• During the Samuel Johnson days they had big men enjoying small talk; today we have small men enjoying big talk.

  Fred Allen

  Funny, Humor, Men

  "Sunday Observer; Brass Hat In Hand" by Russell Baker, www.nytimes.com. April 17, 1983.

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