Humility Quotes - Page 24

• Motives are symptoms of weakness, and supplements for the deficient energy of the living principle, the law within us. Let them then be reserved for those momentous acts and duties in which the strongest and best-balanced natures must feel themselves deficient, and where humility no less than prudence prescribes deliberation.

  Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  Law, Weakness, Energy

  Samuel Taylor Coleridge (2015). “The Complete Works of Samuel Taylor Coleridge: Poetry, Plays, Literary Essays, Lectures, Autobiography and Letters (Classic Illustrated Edition): The Entire Opus of the English poet, literary critic and philosopher, including The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan, Christabel, Lyrical Ballads, Conversation Poems and Biographia Literaria”, p.2068, e-artnow

  9 Copy quote

  Show source

• There is small chance of truth at the goal, where there is not childlike humility at the starting-post.

  Samuel Taylor Coleridge

  Truth, Goal, Chance

  Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Henry Nelson Coleridge, John McVickar (1854). “Coleridge's Aids to reflection: with the author's last corrections”, p.141

  5 Copy quote

  Show source

• There's other ways to protect yourself and your family, Arlen. Wisdom. Prudence. Humility. It's not brave to fight a battle you can't win.

  Peter V. Brett

  Fighting, Winning, Brave

  Peter V. Brett (2009). “The Warded Man: Book One of The Demon Cycle”, p.28, Del Rey

  6 Copy quote

  Show source

• Nowhere have I found words more powerful than those in the Psalms. Their fervid poetry cleanses one, gives one strength, brings hope in moments of darkness. Makes one look critically into oneself, convict oneself, and wash one's heart clean with one's own tears. It is the ever-burning fire of love, of gratitude, humility, and truth.

  Svetlana Alliluyeva

  Bible, Gratitude, Powerful

  Svetlana Alliluyeva (1969). “Only One Year”

  9 Copy quote

  Show source

• If you want to be a writer, you should go into the largest library you can find and stand there contemplating the books that have been written. Then you should ask yourself, 'Do I really have anything to add?' If you have the arrogance or the humility to say yes, you will know you have the vocation.

  Margaret Atwood

  Book, Arrogance, Library

  Margaret Atwood (1984). “Second words: selected critical prose”, Beacon Press, 1984

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• The light of the understanding, humility kindleth and pride covereth.

  Francis Quarles

  Pride, Light, Understanding

  Richard Crashaw, George Gilfillan, Francis Quarles (1857). “Poetical Works: And, Quarles' Emblems”, p.237

  5 Copy quote

  Show source

• Worldly ambition is founded on pride or envy, but emulation, or laudable ambition, is actually founded in humility; for it evidently implies that we have a low opinion of our present attainments, and think it necessary to be advanced.

  Joseph Hall

  Ambition, Pride, Thinking

  56 Copy quote

• The woman had a humble, cringing manner. Of course, she had discovered that, having neither money nor virtue, she had better be humble if she knew what was good for her.

  Jean Rhys

  Humble, Virtue, Courses

  5 Copy quote

• To try to stop war by placing before men's eyes the terrible suffering involved will never succeed, because men are willing (in their thoughts and imaginations at least) to face any kind of suffering when motivated by noble aims like the vague and tremendous concept of freedom ... Or, in their humility (or sloth - who knows?) men are quite willing to leave decisions to others 'who know more about it than we do.

  Dorothy Day

  War, Eye, Men

  7 Copy quote

• Occasionally there is a moment in a person's life when he takes a great stride forward in wisdom, humility, or disillusionment. For a split second he comes into a kind of cosmic understanding. For a trembling breath of time he knows all there is to know. He is loaned the gift the poet yearned for - seeing himself as others see him.

  Betty Smith

  Wisdom, Understanding, Splits

  4 Copy quote

• Compassion directed to oneself is humility.

  Simone Weil

  Compassion, Oneself

  Simone Weil (2015). “First and Last Notebooks: Supernatural Knowledge”, p.104, Wipf and Stock Publishers

  5 Copy quote

  Show source

• I still feel there is a case to be made for my old belief that as man approaches the 'new heaven and the new earth' -- or the space-age universe, if you will, he must do so with humility rather than with arrogance.

  Rachel Carson

  Men, Space, Heaven

  4 Copy quote

• Plutarch has a fine expression, with regard to some woman of learning, humility, and virtue;--that her ornaments were such as might be purchased without money, and would render any woman's life both glorious and happy.

  Laurence Sterne

  Expression, Ornaments, Might

  Laurence Sterne (1814). “The Works of Laurence Sterne: With a Life of the Author”, p.394

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• Beauty has so many charms, one knows not how to speak against it; and when it happens that a graceful figure is the habitation of a virtuous soul, when the beauty of the face speaks out the modesty and humility of the mind, and the justness of the proportion raises our thoughts up to the heart and wisdom of the great Creator, something may be allowed it,--and something to the embellishments which set it off; and yet, when the whole apology is read, it will be found at last that beauty, like truth, never is so glorious as when it goes the plainest.

  Laurence Sterne

  Beauty, Heart, Apology

  Laurence Sterne (1823). “The Works of Laurence Sterne: With a Life of the Author”, p.241

  8 Copy quote

  Show source

• though humility and acknowledgement of one's real failings is good, the gratuitous eating of worms not put before us by God does not nourish our souls a bit - merely in fact upsets the spiritual tummy.

  Evelyn Underhill

  Spiritual, Real, Upset

  14 Copy quote

• Humility, however deep it be, neither disquiets nor troubles nor disturbs the soul; it is accompanied by peace, joy and tranquillity.

  Teresa of Avila

  Joy, Soul, Trouble

  St. Teresa of Avila (2014). “The Way of Perfection”, p.257, Courier Corporation

  11 Copy quote

  Show source

• All greatness in style begins, I imagine, with such respect, deep and passionate enough to produce a humility which will not assert itself at the expense even of inanimate things: out of which submissiveness a desire to serve is born, in disinterested accuracy toward the object, whatever it may be.

  Freya Stark

  Greatness, Style, Desire

  Freya Stark (2013). “Perseus In The Wind: A Life of Travel”, p.84, Tauris Parke Paperbacks

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• It gives me no joy to be praised at the expense of a better artist, by someone who does not know the difference or who thinks me too vain to be aware of it myself.

  Mary Renault

  Artist, Thinking, Differences

  Mary Renault (1974). “The Mask of Apollo”

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• When you learn economy. It strips away self-indulgence. Just in the act itself it requires a certain amount of humility. You have to accept the fact that you might feel you can do better but in the moment you have to make a choice.

  Charlie Huston

  Self, Choices, Might

  4 Copy quote

• How can there be pride in a contrite heart? Humility is the earliest fruit of religion.

  Hosea Ballou

  Heart, Pride, Fruit

  7 Copy quote

• There are no friends more inseparable than pride and hardness of heart, humility and love, falsehood and impudence.

  Johann Kaspar Lavater

  Heart, Pride, No Friends

  21 Copy quote

• What is the elevation of the soul? A prompt, delicate, certain feeling for all that is beautiful, all that is grand; a quick resolution to do the greatest good by the smallest means; a great benevolence joined to a great strength and great humility.

  Johann Kaspar Lavater

  Beautiful, Mean, Soul

  18 Copy quote

• To counter-balance the natural humility of motherhood, I garden ... In the garden, more than any place, I really feel successful.

  Glenda Jackson

  Motherhood, Successful, Garden

  5 Copy quote

• One must have the humility and the imagination to honor all deep human experiences - not least those one has never come near to sharing.

  Rosamond Lehmann

  Respect, Imagination, Empathy

  5 Copy quote

• Our times are obsessed with finding fulfillment, so there are times when some people try too hard, and there are people who want to have the newest feelings just as there are those who want to have the latest model car. You can't play at love any more than you can be proud of your humility, or add water to your perfume and have it smell the same, but men and women both have been known to try.

  Merle Shain

  Men, Play, Smell

  Merle Shain (1973). “Some Men Are More Perfect Than Others”

  4 Copy quote

  Show source