Quotes About Modesty

Lay aside dreams of greatness and embrace dreams of dependency

In many people it is already an impertinence to say "I".

The only responsible course is to deny oneself the ideological misuse of one's own existence, and for the rest to conduct oneself in private as modestly, unobtrusively and unpretentiously as is required, no longer by good upbringing, but by the shame of still having air to breathe, in hell.

Everybody's style of speaking is a mixture of echoes dating from different epochs of the past: hers recalls the prudent and modest civil servants of the last century who were proud that they represented the state and who took care not to compromise themselves by saying the wrong thing.

If you desire to know or learn anything to your advantage, then take delight in being unknown and unregarded. A true understanding and humble estimate of oneself is the highest and most valuable of all lessons. To take no account of oneself, but always to think well and highly of others is the highest wisdom and perfection.

If you wish to learn and appreciate something worth while, then love to be unknown and considered as nothing. Truly to know and despise self is the best and most perfect counsel. To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom.

Grant to me a humble and quiet spirit, one that is never uncontrolled or garrulous.

is truly great who deemeth himself small, and counteth all height of honour as nothing.

Then may he be truly poor and naked in spirit, and be able to say with the Prophet, As for me, I am poor and needy.(2) Nevertheless, no man is richer than he, no man stronger, no man freer. For he knoweth both how to give up himself and all things, and how to be lowly in his own eyes. (1) Luke xvii. 10. (2) Psalm xxv. 16.

To think of oneself as nothing, and always to think well and highly of others is the best and most perfect wisdom.

Humility makes a man richer than other men, and it makes a man judge himself the poorest among men.

For my own part, without breach of truth or modesty, I may affirm that my life has been, on the whole, the life of a philosopher: from my birth I was made an intellectual creature, and intellectual in the highest sense my pursuits and pleasures have been, even from my schoolboy days.

I was naughty but never demanding. I never asked my parents for shoes or tracksuits. I was happy with what I had.

What is poor? We had food. We dressed well. We didn't have a lot, but what we had fit, and it was always neat.

If something is good, more is not necessarily better. Not always.

I'm not head-strong, and I'm not egotistical. I understand certain things better now. I won't be trying to be play everyday. There's only one Cal Ripken, one Lou Gehrig and one Joe DiMaggio. What is good for them isn't necessarily good for Eric Davis.

I never try to get ahead of myself because there's nothing that bothers me more than cockiness. I don't think that's necessary at all.

I don't have famous neighbours and if I did, I'd avoid them. I don't live the jet-set.

I grew up very modest, and I never forget that.

A dress should never take over someone.

I never take myself too seriously.

I'm not going to give it the big 'I am' now that I'm a New York Times bestseller.

I'm really a nice guy, aren't I? Not many people know that.

I'm not flashy. I'll do nice things on the floor, but I'm not going to do the really impressive dunk or make the really impressive block. I think that's what fans enjoy most about coming to basketball games, but that's not what I provide night in, night out.