Hillsdale College

Magnanimity

Strive confidently for great and noble goods.

StoriesPoemsLives of Virtue

Magnanimity, or “greatness of soul,” is the moral virtue that inclines one to perform great acts that are worthy of true honor. The habit of magnanimity enables us to undertake difficult and noble tasks without striving after great deeds that are unfitting or unattainable. Magnanimity is often called the “crown of the virtues” because acts deserving of true honor can only follow from significant prior moral development.

For Grades K-2:

The virtue of magnanimity (mag·nuh·NI·muh·tee) gives us the desire to do great and noble things, to aim high and give our very best for what is truly good. 

For Grades 3-6:

The virtue of magnanimity, or “greatness of soul,” gives us the desire to pursue great and noble deeds that are truly worthy of honor, aiming high and giving our best for what is truly good. 

Related Virtues

Courage

Steadfastness
Perseverance

Featured Stories

The Little PrinceAntoine de Saint-Exupéry
Grade K-5

Story

The Lion, the Witch, and the WardrobeC.S. Lewis
Grade 3-5

Story

The Wind in the WillowsKenneth Grahame
Grade 5-6

Story

RedwallBrian Jacques
Grade 4-8

Story

The Unicorn and the LakeMarianna Mayer
Grade 2-4

Story

The Light PrincessGeorge MacDonald
Grade 3-5

Story

More Stories

Featured Biographies

George WashingtonIngri d'Aulaire
Grade 1-4

Biography

Who Was George Washington?Roberta Edwards
Grade 2-4

Biography

They Called Her Molly PitcherAnne Rockwell
Grade 3-5

Biography

Poems about Magnanimity

Euclid alone has looked on Beauty bare. Let all who prate of Beauty hold their peace,

Euclid alone has looked on Beauty bare
By Edna St. Vincent Millay
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And then I’d seemed to notice that her cup was being a little differently picked up.

Going Blind
By Rainer Maria Rilke
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All are architects of Fate, Working in these walls of Time...

The Builders
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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Not in the thick of the fight, Not in the press of the odds, Do the heroes come to their height...

The Verdicts
By Rudyard Kipling
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Only a sweet and virtuous soul, Like season'd timber, never gives...

Virtue
By George Herbert
Read More of Virtue

Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself...

When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
By Walt Whitman
Read More of When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer

Lives of Virtue

Abraham Lincoln
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln exemplified virtue through his steadfast commitment to justice and the preservation of the Union, guiding the nation with moral clarity and courage during its darkest hours.
George Washington
George WashingtonThanks to his integrity, humility, courage, and wisdom, George Washington has long been known as one of the greatest leaders in American history.
Florence Nightingale
Florence NightingaleThrough her selfless dedication to improving healthcare and nursing, Florence Nightingale used her talents to transform medical practices with kindness, courage, and rigorous reform.