You know, that line “The greatest achievement was at first, and for a time, but a dream” is pure gold. It’s not just motivational fluff; it’s the actual blueprint for building anything significant. Everything you see around you, every massive company, every groundbreaking invention, started as a flicker in someone’s imagination.
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Meaning
The core message is simple yet profound: every single great thing that exists began as nothing more than a thought, a vision, a dream in someone’s mind before it was ever a reality.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. People get hung up on the “how.” They don’t have the money, the connections, the perfect plan. But Hill is telling us that the “how” is secondary. The primary ingredient, the non-negotiable starting point, is that clear, burning dream. It’s the blueprint. The “and for a time” part is crucial—it acknowledges that there’s a gap, sometimes a long and lonely one, where the dream lives only in your head and your heart before the outside world can see it. Your job in that gap is to hold onto the vision with relentless faith.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3668) |
| Category | Personal Development (697) |
| Topics | achievement (34), dreams (28), vision (38) |
| Literary Style | poetic (635) |
| Emotion / Mood | inspiring (392) |
| Overall Quote Score | 85 (305) |
Origin & Factcheck
This quote comes straight from Napoleon Hill’s 1937 classic, “Think and Grow Rich,” which was published in the United States. You sometimes see this sentiment attributed to others, but its true home is in Hill’s work, born from his two decades of studying the most successful people of his era.
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 | The greatest achievement was, at first, and for a time, but a dream |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 1937; ISBN: 978-1-59330-200-9; Latest Edition: 2020; Number of Pages: 320 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 2: Desire, Approximate page from 2020 edition: 39 |