When you are able to maintain your own highest standards, you’re building a kind of success that can’t be taken away. It’s about choosing your character over convenience, every single time. This is the real foundation for lasting greatness.
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Meaning
This quote is about radical personal accountability. It means your integrity isn’t a reaction to others; it’s your own non-negotiable standard, no matter the environment.
Explanation
Look, I’ve seen this play out so many times. The real power here isn’t just about being honest. It’s about building an internal compass so strong that the bad behavior of others actually makes your own integrity shine brighter. When you stop looking sideways to see what you can get away with, and start looking inward at who you’ve committed to being, that’s when everything shifts. You’re not competing with the cutthroats; you’re playing a completely different game. A longer game. A game where people trust you, where your word is your bond, and where that reputation becomes your greatest asset. It’s a quiet, unstoppable kind of power.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (4111) |
| Category | Personal Development (747) |
| Topics | character (34), integrity (49), leadership (120) |
| Literary Style | moral (11) |
| Emotion / Mood | inspiring (434) |
| Overall Quote Score | 80 (269) |
Origin & Factcheck
This comes straight from Napoleon Hill’s 1937 classic, Think and Grow Rich, published in the United States. It’s a cornerstone of his philosophy, often mistaken for a biblical proverb or a quote from a later self-help guru, but its origin is firmly in Hill’s seminal work on achievement.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Napoleon Hill (84) |
| Source Type | Book (4648) |
| Source/Book Name | Think and Grow Rich (37) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (866) |
| Original Language | English (4111) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4648) |
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 | When you are able to maintain your own highest standards of integrity—regardless of what others may do—you are destined for greatness |
| Book Details | Publication Year: 1937; ISBN: 978-1-59330-200-9; Latest Edition: 2020; Number of Pages: 320 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 7: Decision, Approximate page from 2020 edition: 140 |