A thin wooden ladder against a pale blue wall with a paper kite hovering above the top rung.

Original artwork, not a still

The Fountainhead · 1943

Ayn Rand

A thing is not high if one can reach it; it is not great if one can reason about it; it is not deep if one can see its bottom.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

A claim about measuring greatness: if you can reach something, it isn't high; if reasoning can grasp it, it isn't great; if you can see the bottom, it isn't deep. Each comparison says true scale should exceed our reach or understanding.

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