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Quotes About Humility

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.
~ Thomas a Kempis
If you wish to draw profit, read with humility, simplicity, and faith, and never with the design of gaining a reputation for learning.
~ Thomas a Kempis
A lowly knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than the deep searching of a man's learnings. Not that learning is to be blamed, nor the taking account of anything that is good; but a good conscience and a holy life is better than all. And because many seek knowledge rather than good living, therefore they go astray, and bear little or no fruit.
~ Thomas a Kempis
He is not truly patient who will only suffer as far as seems right to him and from whom he pleases. The truly patient man considers not by whom he is tried, one above him, or by an equal, or by an inferior, whether by a good and holy man or by a perverse and unworthy, but from every creature. He gratefully accepts all from the hand of God and counts it gain.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Look at our fathers in the old days, living masterpieces as they are and shining examples of true religion; and see how feeble our own achievement is, almost nothing. Heaven help us, what is our life in comparison with theirs? Holy people these, true friends of Christ, that could go hungry and thirsty in God's service; cold and ill-clad, worn out with labors and vigils and fasting, with praying and meditating on holy things, with all the persecutions and insults they endured.
~ Thomas a Kempis
To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Take pains to be patient in bearing the faults and weaknesses of others, for you too have many flaws that others must put up with.
~ Thomas a Kempis
The more humble a man is in himself, and the more obedient towards God, the wiser will he be in all things, and the more shall his soul be at peace.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Do what pleases others, not yourself. â—Š Choose to do and have less rather than more. â—Š Be a servant; seek the lowest place. â—Š Pray to become all that God wants you to be.
~ Thomas a Kempis
How many there are who perish because of vain worldly knowledge and too little care for serving God. They became vain in their own conceits because they chose to be great rather than humble. He is truly great who has great charity. He is truly great who is little in his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest honor. He is truly wise who looks upon all earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ. He who does God's will and renounces his own is truly very learned.
~ Thomas a Kempis
And whatsoever thou art not enabled to understand, that commit without anxiety to Almighty God. God deceiveth thee not; he is deceived who believeth too much in himself. God walketh with the simple, revealeth Himself to the humble, giveth understanding to babes, openeth the sense to pure minds, and hideth grace from the curious and proud. Human reason is weak and may be deceived; but true faith cannot be deceived.
~ Thomas a Kempis
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.
~ Thomas a Kempis
To have no opinion of ourselves, and to think always well and highly of others, is great wisdom and perfection.
~ Thomas a Kempis
It happens very often that those whom men esteem highly are more seriously endangered by their own excessive confidence. Hence, for many it is better not to be too free from temptations, but often to be tried lest they become too secure, too filled with pride, or even too eager to fall back upon external comforts.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Because our hearts are frivolous and because we ignore our faults we never discover the sickness in our souls, but idly we laugh when we have full reason to weep.
~ Thomas a Kempis
by patience and true humility we become stronger than all our enemies.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Est-ce faire beaucoup que de vous servir, vous que doivent servir toutes les créatures ? Cela doit me sembler peu de chose; mais ce qui me paraît grand et merveilleux, c'est que vous daigniez agréer le service d'une créature si pauvre et si misérable, et l'admettre parmi les serviteurs que vous aimez.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Your sole desire should be the glory of God, not the praise of others.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Grant to me a humble and quiet spirit, one that is never uncontrolled or garrulous.
~ Thomas a Kempis
To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom. Even shouldest thou see thy neighbor sin openly or grievously, yet thou oughtest not to reckon thyself better than he, for thou knowest not how long thou shalt keep thine integrity. All of us are weak and frail; hold thou no man more frail than thyself.
~ Thomas a Kempis
TURN your attention upon yourself and beware of judging the deeds of other men, for in judging others a man labors vainly, often makes mistakes, and easily sins; whereas, in judging and taking stock of himself he does something that is always profitable.
~ Thomas a Kempis
is truly great who deemeth himself small, and counteth all height of honour as nothing.
~ Thomas a Kempis
He only is truly great, who hath great charity. He is truly great who deemeth himself small, and counteth all height of honour as nothing.
~ Thomas a Kempis
Hidden pride is a most pernicious vice, the more so since it is not recognized and does not recognize itself. On the outside, it may appear gentle, mild, and even humble. Yet inside, it burns away bitterly. The person who is subject to such pride becomes inordinately elated when he is successful but is disturbed and dejected in the face of adversity or failure.
~ Thomas a Kempis