Quotes About Humility

don't like being interrupted either—but I interrupt other people. I often forget that other people's stories aren't simply introductions to my own more engaging, more dramatic, more relevant, and better-told tales, but rather ends in themselves, tales I can learn from or repeat or dissect or savor.

I often forget that other people's stories aren't simply introductions to my own more engaging, more dramatic, more relevant, and better-told tales, but rather ends in themselves, tales I can learn from or repeat or dissect or savor.

The postgrad at least knew enough to know that he would never know enough, lying under the stars which hung from the inky sky like bunches of inconceivably heavy, lustrous grapes, dusted with the yeast of eternity.

A little learning is not a dangerous thing to one who does not mistake it for a great deal.

The poverty of Christ was without a singular vow, and without beggary.

More generally, when we find ourselves irritated by someone's shortcomings, we should pause to reflect on our own shortcomings.

Epictetus agrees that we should avoid having sex before marriage, but adds that if we succeed in doing this, we shouldn't boast about our chastity and belittle those who aren't likewise chaste.14

Ideally, a Stoic will be oblivious to the services he does for others, as oblivious as a grapevine is when it yields a cluster of grapes to a vintner. He will not pause to boast about the service he has performed but will move on to perform his next service, the way the grape vine moves on to bear more grapes.

Here is the death of human pride. Beside the glory of Christ, all human titles are of no importance and all human claims become ridiculous.

A man that's neither born to wealth, nor place, But to the mere despite of Fortune's brow, Though, peradventure, well endowed with grace Of stature, form, and other gifts enough, Submits himself unto a servile yoke, And is content to wear a livery cloak.

The modest Rose puts forth a thorn, The humble sheep a threatning horn: While the Lily white shall in love delight, Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.

He who shall hurt the little wrenShall never be belov'd by men.

Little Fly, Thy summer's play My thoughtless hand Has brush'd away. Am I not A fly like thee? Or are thou not A man like me?

Always consider the possibility that you may be wrong. Especially when you are absolutely certain you are right.

My heart panted after this—to lie low before God, as in the dust; that I might be nothing, and that God, might be all, that I might become as a little child. …

Knowledge is proud that it knows so much wisdom is humble that it knows no more.

Knowledge is proud that he has learn'd so much; Wisdom is humble that he knows no more.

Knowledge is proud that he has learned so much. Wisdom is humble that he knows not more.

Be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your answers.

Though nameless, trampled, and forgot, His servant's humble ashes lie, Yet God has marked and sealed the spot, To call its inmate to the sky.

Any singer who arrived in Shahajahanabad claiming distinction in the art would forget their sur and taal [note and beat] after hearing only one bar of his music and would accept the dust of his feet as the decoration of their eye…

Those times you caught them out and showed them up -- they learned how stupid they are. But now you'll never hear the little song of their purring throats, and you'll never know what they think, when you say hello.

True love is the parent of humility.

He [Christ] climbs the tree to repay what was stolen, as if he was putting the apple back; but the phrase in itself implies rather that he is doing the stealing ... Either he stole on behalf of man ... or he is climbing upwards like Jack on the Beanstalk, and taking his people with him back to heaven. The phrase has an odd humility which makes us see him as the son of the house; possibly Herbert is drawing on the medieval tradition that the Cross was made of the wood of the forbidden trees.