Diffidence Quotes - Page 2

• Diffidence in an officer is a good mark because he will always endeavor to bring himself up to what he conceives to be the full line of his duty.

  George Washington

  Lines, Endeavor, Mark

  George Washington, Jared Sparks (1839). “The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts”, p.399

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• I went from resenting my mother-in-law to accepting her, finally to appreciating her. What appeared to be her diffidence when I was first married, I now value as serenity.

  Ayelet Waldman

  Mother, Law, Appreciate

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• We are as often duped by diffidence as by confidence.

  Lord Chesterfield

  Confidence

  Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield, Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield (1855). “The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author”, p.627

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• It may be remarked in general, that the laugh of men of wit is for the most part but a feint, constrained kind of half-laugh, as such persons are never without some diffidence about them; but that of fools is the most honest, natural, open laugh in the world.

  Richard Steele

  Laughter, Men, Laughing

  Sir Richard Steele (1837). “The Guardian, with Notes, and General Indexes: Complete in One Volume”, p.43

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• I did not believe him capable of love. That is an emotion in which tenderness is an essential part, but Strickland had no tenderness either for himself or for others; there is in love a sense of weakness, a desire to protect, an eagerness to do good and to give pleasure--if not unselfishness, at all events a selfishness which marvellously conceals itself; it has in it a certain diffidence.

  W. Somerset Maugham

  Believe, Giving, Desire

  W. Somerset Maugham (2006). “The Moon and Sixpence”, p.84, Courier Corporation

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• Chastity is oftener owing to diffidence and shame, than to fortitude of reason or virtue.

  Norm MacDonald

  Owing, Shame, Fortitude

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• I loved you: and, it may be, from my soul The former love has never gone away, But let it not recall to you my dole; I wish not sadden you in any way. I loved you silently, without hope, fully, In diffidence, in jealousy, in pain; I loved you so tenderly and truly, As let you else be loved by any man.

  Alexander Pushkin

  Pain, Men, Gone Away

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• Poetry begins in trivial metaphors, pretty metaphors, "grace" metaphors, and goes on to the profoundest thinking that we have. Poetry provides the one permissible way of saying one thing and meaning another. People say, "Why don’t you say what you mean?" We never do that, do we, being all of us too much poets. We like to talk in parables and in hints and in indirections - whether from diffidence or some other instinct.

  Robert Frost

  Mean, Thinking, People

  "Education by Poetry". Robert Frost's speech at Amherst College in Massachusetts, www.en.utexas.edu. February 1931.

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• The true confidence which is faith in Christ, and the true diffidence which is utter distrust of myself--are identical.

  Alexander MacLaren

  Christ, Distrust, Identical

  Alexander Maclaren (1859). “Sermons preached in Union chapel, Manchester”, p.57

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• Modesty and diffidence make a man unfit for public affairs; they also make him unfit for brothels.

  Walter Savage Landor

  Men, Modesty, Affair

  Walter Savage Landor (1853). “Imaginary Conversations of Greeks and Romans”, p.81

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