Frequently attributed to Lin Yutang (such as in Hard-to-Solve Cryptograms (2001) by Derrick Niederman, p. 96)
Actually a variation of a Walter Savage Landor quotation from his work Imaginary Conversations: "Little men in lofty places, who throw long shadows, because our sun is setting."https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/10/14/cast-shadow/#04497062-f275-4156-bc8a-11e4254053bf
Actually a variation of a Walter Savage Landor quotation from his work Imaginary Conversations: "Little men in lofty places, who throw long shadows, because our sun is setting."https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/10/14/cast-shadow/#04497062-f275-4156-bc8a-11e4254053bf
“
When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set.
— Lin Yutang
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set." in the context of "Frequently attributed to Lin Yutang (such as in Hard-to-Solve Cryptograms (2001) by Derrick Niederman, p. 96)
Actually a variation of a Walter Savage Landor quotation from his work Imaginary Conversations: "Little men in lofty places, who throw long shadows, because our sun is setting."https://quoteinvestigator.com/2024/10/14/cast-shadow/#04497062-f275-4156-bc8a-11e4254053bf" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Lin Yutang" (Misattributed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Lin Yutang
Lin Yutang (Traditional Chinese: 林語堂; Simplified Chinese: 林语堂; pinyin: Lín Yǔtáng) (10 October 1895 – 26 March 1976) was a Chinese writer and translator.
About Lin Yutang
Lin Yutang (Traditional Chinese: 林語堂; Simplified Chinese: 林语堂; pinyin: Lín Yǔtáng) (10 October 1895 – 26 March 1976) was a Chinese writer and translator.
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