Familiarity with any great thing removes our awe of it. The great general is only terrible to the enemy; the great poet is frequently scolded by his wife; the children of the great statesman clamber about his knees with perfect trust and impunity; the great actor who is called before the curtain by admiring audiences is often waylaid at the stage door by his creditors.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Familiarity diminishes awe; even great people have mundane personal struggles.
- In plain terms
- Knowing great people well makes them seem normal and flawed.
- What can you take from it?
- Greatness looks different up close.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Who do you admire and why?
- Does knowing someone change how you see them?
Another view
It might reduce motivation to admire role models.
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