On a souvent besoin d'un plus petit que soi. — Jean de La Fontaine | Printable Wall Art

“On a souvent besoin d'un plus petit que soi.”
“One often needs someone smaller than oneself.”

Words by Jean de La Fontaine (1621-1695) — French poet and fabulist, author of the Fables.

About this quote

This classic moral reminds us that power and status do not guarantee self-sufficiency. Even the strongest individuals encounter problems they cannot solve alone, requiring assistance from those of lesser standing. It encourages humility and kindness towards everyone, as a person who seems minor or insignificant today may well prove vital to your success or survival tomorrow.

This line features in Jean de La Fontaine's 1668 fable Le Lion et le Rat. The fable tells of a tiny rat who frees a mighty lion from a hunter's trap.

People often hang this print in a classroom or study as a warm reminder of mutual respect.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.