To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above

The words of Montesquieu—“To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them”—carry the quiet thunder of eternal wisdom. They rise from the heart of a man who studied power and its corruption, who looked upon kings and tyrants and saw that their crowns often blinded them to the truth of humanity. In these words, Montesquieu reminds us that greatness is not domination, but service; that the measure of a leader, or of any person, is not how high they stand above others, but how deeply they walk beside them. His insight, born from centuries of struggle and the observation of empires, is not merely political—it is spiritual.

At its core, this quote reveals the paradox of true greatness. Many seek power thinking it will bring honor, yet those who wield power selfishly become small in soul. To “stand with people” means to embrace humility, to understand that greatness grows not from superiority, but from unity and compassion. A person who leads without empathy rules only over fear; but the one who stands among their people—sharing their burdens, hearing their cries, celebrating their joys—becomes immortal in their hearts. This is the greatness that outlives monuments and thrones, for it is written not in stone, but in the spirit of others.

In the days of the ancients, history offered many examples of this truth. Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor of Rome, ruled the greatest empire on earth yet lived as a servant of his people. He ate simple food, slept little, and sought wisdom rather than luxury. In his meditations, he wrote not as a conqueror but as a man striving to be good—reminding himself daily that the emperor is still a man among men. His greatness did not come from the height of his power, but from his refusal to let power separate him from his humanity. He understood what Montesquieu would later proclaim: that true leaders stoop to lift others, not to lord over them.

The opposite truth can be seen in those who ruled above their people rather than with them. Consider Louis XIV, the so-called Sun King, who proclaimed, “I am the state.” He ruled in splendor while his subjects starved, and his legacy, though grand in architecture, left behind a nation broken in spirit. His greatness was hollow, built on distance and pride. Montesquieu, born in the shadow of that same France, saw firsthand the decay that comes when rulers forget their connection to the common soul. Thus his words emerged not as theory, but as warning: that those who stand above others for too long lose sight of what made them human.

To “stand with people” also speaks beyond the realm of rulers—it is a law for all who wish to live nobly. In every walk of life, whether one is teacher, parent, artist, or friend, greatness comes through service and solidarity. The teacher who listens to their students becomes a guide. The artist who speaks for the voiceless becomes a prophet. The worker who lifts another’s load becomes a pillar of strength. Each act of empathy dissolves the illusion of separateness and binds humanity into one shared destiny. This is what Montesquieu meant: that the highest form of greatness is shared humanity, not exalted isolation.

There is profound humility in this teaching, for it asks us to remember that all people—no matter their rank, wealth, or intellect—are threads in the same fabric. The moment we pull ourselves apart, the fabric weakens. To walk among others, to listen to their pain and stand with them in their struggle, is to weave that fabric stronger. History’s true giants—Gandhi, Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela—understood this truth. They were not elevated by crowns or armies, but by the love of those they served. They stood not above their people, but beside them, and in doing so, they ascended higher than any throne could ever reach.

Let this then be the lesson passed down to all who seek meaning and greatness: do not climb to escape others; climb to uplift them. Greatness is not a summit reached alone but a mountain carried together. Stand with your people—with your family, your community, your fellow travelers in life—and you will find that the strength of many becomes the greatness of one. Listen more than you speak, serve more than you command, and remember that even the brightest star shines best when it illuminates others.

For in the end, those who stand above others are soon forgotten when their towers crumble. But those who walk among the people—who love, who serve, who lift—live on in the hearts of humanity. So, as Montesquieu taught, stand not in pride, but in fellowship. For it is there, in the humble company of your brothers and sisters, that true greatness is born—and eternal greatness endures.