the measure of a man

Noun

Meaning

That which shows the value of a person's life; one's non-monetary worth

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see measure,‎ man.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Examples

You know I believe we all begin equal parts light and dark. I fear you think your strength lies in your darkness. But the measure of a man is not the fear he sows in his enemies. It is the hope he gives his friends. Pierce Brown

The measure of a man is what he does with power. Plato

I have always thought you could take the measure of a man by his sports manners - that is to say, the way in which he conducts himself on the playing field, or even over a game of chess or cards. Graydon Carter

The measure of a man is not how much he suffers in the test, but how he comes out at the end. Neal Shusterman

Sure, when you're in the midst of your own suffering, it's easy to convince yourself that you're no good-but we are all tested in this life... The measure of a man is not how much he suffers in the test, but how he comes out at the end. Neal Shusterman

My own father had always said the measure of a man wasn't how many times or how hard he got knocked down, but how fast he got back up. Joe Biden

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