Lowliness Quotes

• Gentleness brings victory to him who attacks, and safety to him who defends. Those whom Heaven would save, it fences round with gentleness.

  Laozi

  Humility, Safety, Political

  7 Copy quote

• Lowliness is the base of every virtue, And he who goes the lowest builds the safest.

  Philip James Bailey

  Humility, Virtue, Lowest

  Philip James Bailey (1848). “Beauties of Festus”, p.93

  8 Copy quote

  Show source

• Every day He humbles Himself just as He did when from from His heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; every day He comes to us and lets us see Him in lowliness, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar.

  Francis of Assisi

  Father, Hands, Thrones

  13 Copy quote

• The best soldiers are not warlike; the best fighters do not lose their temper. The greatest conquerors are those who overcome their enemies without strife. The greatest directors of men are those who yield place to others. This is called the Virtue of not striving, the capacity for directing mankind; this is being the compeer of Heaven. It was the highest goal of the ancients.

  Laozi

  Humility, Men, Yield

  11 Copy quote

• But in the present day men cast off gentleness, and are all for being bold; they spurn frugality, and retain only extravagance; they discard humility, and aim only at being first. Therefore they shall surely perish.

  Laozi

  Humility, Men, Extravagance

  13 Copy quote

• He who is great must make humility his base. He who is high must make lowliness his foundation. Thus, princes and kings in speaking of themselves use the terms "lonely," "friendless," "of small account." Is not this making humility their base?

  Laozi

  Lonely, Kings, Humility

  7 Copy quote

• There is no love of God without patience, and no patience without lowliness and sweetness of spirit.

  John Wesley

  Be Patient, Spirit, God Love

  John Wesley (1831). “The Works of the Reverend John Wesley, A. M.”, p.526

  17 Copy quote

  Show source

• The man or the woman in whom resides greater virtue is the higher; neither the loftiness nor the lowliness of a person lies in the body according to the sex, but in the perfection of conduct and virtues.

  Christine de Pizan

  Inspirational, Sex, Women

  Christine De Pizan (1982). “The Book of the City of Ladies”, New York : Persea Books

  71 Copy quote

  Show source

• Whoever seeks honor [by marrying a woman] will be tested with lowliness, and whoever seeks wealth [by marrying a woman] will be tested with poverty, but whoever looks for righteousness [in a woman], then Allah would combine both honor and wealth with righteousness for him in her.

  Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah

  Honor, Looks, Poverty

  57 Copy quote

• The word of God teacheth lowliness of mind; it teacheth us to know ourselves.

  John Jewel

  Mind, Word Of God, Knows

  John Jewel (1850). “The Works of John Jewel”, p.1188

  12 Copy quote

  Show source

• True dignity abides with him alone Who, in the silent hour of inward thought, Can still suspect, and still revere himself, In lowliness of heart.

  William Wordsworth

  Heart, Inward, Dignity

  William Wordsworth (1854). “The Complete Poetical Works of William Wordsworth”, p.38

  8 Copy quote

  Show source

• God who is eternally complete, who directs the stars, who is the master of fates, who elevates man from his lowliness to Himself, who speaks from the cosmos to every single human soul, is the most brilliant manifestation of the goal of perfection.

  Alfred Adler

  God, Stars, Fate

  39 Copy quote

• But 'tis common proof, that lowliness is young ambition's ladder, whereto the climber-upward turns his face; but when he once attains the upmost round, he then turns his back, looks in the clouds, scorning the vase defrees by which he did ascend.

  William Shakespeare

  Ambition, Clouds, Looks

  'Julius Caesar' (1599) act 2, sc. 1, l. 21

  7 Copy quote

  Show source

• Holiness is not some lofty experience, unattainable except to those who can leap the stars, but it is rather a lowly experience, which lowly people in the lowly walks of life can share with Jesus, by letting His mind be in them.

  Samuel Logan Brengle

  Life, Christian, Jesus

  106 Copy quote

• He that humbles himself shall be preserved entire. He that bends shall be made straight. He that is empty shall be filled. He that is worn out shall be renewed. He who has little shall succeed. He who has much shall go astray.

  Laozi

  Humility, Littles, Succeed

  5 Copy quote

• Therefore the Sage embraces Unity, and is a model for all under Heaven. He is free from self-display, therefore he shines forth; from self-assertion, therefore he is distinguished; from self-glorification, therefore he has merit; from self-exaltation, therefore he rises superior to all. Inasmuch as he does not strive, there is no one in the world who can strive with him.

  Laozi

  Humility, Self, Shining

  13 Copy quote

• He who, conscious of being strong, is content to be weak, he shall be the paragon of mankind. Being the paragon of mankind, Virtue will never desert him. He returns to the state of a little child.

  Laozi

  Strong, Children, Humility

  4 Copy quote

• Thus it is that "Some things are increased by being diminished, others are diminished by being increased." What others have taught, I also teach; verily, I will make it the root of my teaching.

  Laozi

  Teaching, Humility, Roots

  7 Copy quote

• What makes a kingdom great is its being like a down-flowing river,--the central point towards which all the smaller streams under Heaven converge; or like the female throughout the world, who by quiescence always overcomes the male. And quiescence is a form of humility.

  Laozi

  Humility, Rivers, Heaven

  10 Copy quote

• The Sage expects no recognition for what he does; he achieves merit but does not take it to himself; he does not wish to display his worth.

  Laozi

  Humility, Wish, Merit

  7 Copy quote

• Therefore the Sage, wishing to be above the people, must by his words put himself below them; wishing to be before the people, he must put himself behind them. In this way, though he has his place above them, the people do not feel his weight; though he has his place before them, they do not feel it as an injury. Therefore all mankind delight to exalt him, and weary of him not.

  Laozi

  Humility, People, Wish

  7 Copy quote

• A man who hates the passion cuts off their causes. But a man who remains among their causes experiences even against his will the conflict from the passions. It is not possible to be mentally inclined toward a passion if one does not love its cause. For who, disdaining shame, is given to vainglory? Or who, loving lowliness, is bothered by dishonor? Who, having a broken and humble heart, accepts fleshly sweetness? Or who, believing in Christ, is concerned about temporal things, or argues about them?

  Marcus Eremita

  Inspirational, Christian, Religious

  4 Copy quote

• The most essential point is lowliness.

  Francois Fenelon

  Humility, Essentials

  Francois Fenelon (2014). “Spiritual Progress”, p.128, Lulu.com

  4 Copy quote

  Show source

• I am sure that there are many Christians who will confess that their experience has been very much like my own-that we had long known the Lord without realizing that meekness and lowliness of heart should be the distinguishing feature of the disciple, as they were of the Master. Such humility is not a thing that will come on its own. It must be made the object of special desire, prayer, faith and practice.

  Andy Murray

  Christian, Prayer, Heart

  4 Copy quote

• The king-becoming graces,
  As justice, verity, temp'rance, stableness,
  Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness,
  Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude,
  I have no relish of them, but abound
  In the division of each several crime,
  Acting in many ways.

  William Shakespeare

  Perseverance, Kings, Justice

  William Shakespeare (2002). “Macbeth”, p.186, Barron's Educational Series

  4 Copy quote

  Show source