Who really said it
The Michelangelo credit is unsupported; modern repetition does not supply a Renaissance source.
Last verified 9 Nov 2026 · how we verify · spot an error?
For presentations
Disputed credit — copy with the correction
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it” — Often attributed to Michelangelo; no reliable source confirms that credit
The slide-ready mistake: crediting this to Michelangelo. Use the credit shown above instead.
Can you use it?
We couldn’t verify where this wording comes from, so there’s no rights status to give. Safe to present as an unverified or anonymous line — just don’t assert a specific author or source.
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In context
Evoking the themes of purpose and courage. Theme: "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it". Atmospheric and restrained, cinematic directional light, a muted period-appropriate palette, fine grain and texture. Compose with generous empty space for the quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Minimalist
Minimalist editorial slide for the quote "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it". Clean background, a single muted accent color, generous negative space, subtle paper or linen texture, no literal illustration — let the words carry it. Reserve clear space for a serif quote and a small credit line. No lettering in the image itself.
Provenance
The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.
Read the attribution evidenceHow we verified this
The exact English wording or its first publication has not been pinned down; no public-domain clearance is asserted.
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Fact-check
The Michelangelo credit is unsupported; modern repetition does not supply a Renaissance source.
Wikiquote labels the saying disputed and identifies its use without a source in Ken Robinson’s The Element. It also reports a related unattributed 1980 occurrence. Neither the original 1980 book nor Robinson’s printed page was independently inspected, so these remain reported leads rather than newly verified first appearances. Evidence ↗
Context
The maxim is widely used as encouragement to set ambitious goals, including on university personal profiles. Such settings show modern circulation; neither institutional hosting nor a modern book citation supplies a primary Michelangelo source.
Explore
More provenance-checked quotes on the same theme, each with its reuse status.
Go further
Trusted places to keep pulling the thread — primary archives, fact-checks, and scholarship. We show how we used each one before you leave.
Wikiquote explains the absence of a Michelangelo source and lists modern publication leads.
Publisher metadata identifies The Element (2009), a cited modern carrier; it does not verify the quoted book page.
A Georgia Tech personal page repeats a shorter version credited to Michelangelo; this documents modern circulation only.
A university profile lists a version as a favorite quote, documenting modern attribution rather than authenticating it.
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The author
For writers & researchers
Modern maxim credited to Michelangelo; exact origin unconfirmed.
Quotle.info. “Who really said ‘The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it’?” Last verified 9 Nov 2026. https://quotle.info/who-said/the-greatest-danger-for-most-of-us-is-not-that-our-aim-is/