You know, I’ve been thinking about that Napoleon Hill quote, “Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice.” It’s not just a nice saying; it’s a fundamental law of success I’ve seen play out time and again. Real, lasting success always demands a trade-off.
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Meaning
At its core, this quote means you can’t have it all. True, meaningful success requires you to give something up, and a selfish mindset will actively block your path to it.
Explanation
Look, I’ve worked with enough entrepreneurs and high-performers to see this pattern firsthand. That “sacrifice” Hill talks about isn’t about suffering for its own sake. It’s about prioritization. You’re trading temporary comfort for a long-term goal. Maybe it’s waking up an hour earlier to work on your side hustle while everyone else is sleeping. Or saying no to that expensive vacation to reinvest in your business. And the part about selfishness? It’s crucial. The biggest achievements, the ones that last, are almost always built on a foundation of providing value to others. You can’t build an empire if you’re only focused on what you can take. You build it by focusing on what you can give. Selfishness is a short-term strategy; sacrifice for a greater purpose is the long game.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Wisdom (385) |
| Topics | achievement (34), sacrifice (12), selflessness (9) |
| Literary Style | philosophical (434) |
| Emotion / Mood | reflective (382) |
| Overall Quote Score | 78 (178) |
Origin & Factcheck
This one is correctly attributed. It comes straight from Napoleon Hill’s classic, Think and Grow Rich, which was first published in the United States back in 1937. You sometimes see this kind of wisdom misattributed to folks like Churchill or Roosevelt, but this is pure Hill.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Napoleon Hill (84) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Think and Grow Rich (37) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (530) |
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Napoleon Hill (1883–1970) wrote influential books on achievement and personal philosophy. After interviewing industrialist Andrew Carnegie, he spent years studying the habits of top performers, which led to The Law of Success and the classic Think and Grow Rich. Hill taught and lectured widely, promoting ideas like the Master Mind, definite purpose, and persistence. He collaborated with W. Clement Stone and helped launch the Napoleon Hill Foundation to preserve and extend his teachings. His work continues to shape self-help, entrepreneurship, and success literature.
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Great achievement is usually born of great sacrifice, and is never the result of selfishness |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 1937; ISBN: 978-1-59330-200-9; Latest Edition: 2020; Number of Pages: 320 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 11: The Mystery of Sex Transmutation, Approximate page from 2020 edition: 218 |