C. S. Lewis Quotes

We are never, never so much in danger of being proud as when we think we are humble.

There are few, very few, that will own themselves in a mistake, though all the World sees them to be in downright nonsense.

When one becomes conscious of his great humility, he has already lost it. When one begins boasting of his humility, it has already become pride-the antithesis of humility.

Discourses on humility are a source of pride in the vain and of humility in the humble. So those on scepticism cause believers to affirm. Few men speak humbly of humility, chastely of chastity, few doubtingly of scepticism.

In my own pursuit of God, I often became preoccupied with ME! It was easy to think that being constantly aware of my faults and weakness was humility. It’s not! If I’m the main subject, talking incessantly about my weaknesses, I have entered into the most subtle form of pride.

If thou seest anything in thyself which may make thee proud, look a little further and thou shalt find enough to humble thee; if thou be wise, view the peacock's feathers with his feet, and weigh thy best parts with thy imperfections.

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means that you are very conceited indeed.

Without humility, we keep all our defects; and they are only crusted over by pride, which conceals them from others, and often from ourselves.

Discourses on humility are a source of pride in the vain and of humility in the humble.

One cannot be humble and aware of oneself at the same time.

The truly humble feel the ground beneath their feet every day and do not only become aware of it when held aloft or pushed down to their knees.

A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.

To be a man's own fool is bad enough, but the vain man is everybody's.

The proud do not change to improve, but defend their position by rationalizing. Repentance means change, and it takes a humble person to change.

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that arrogance is one of my flaws.

The surest cure for vanity is loneliness.

There are few people who are more often wrong than those who cannot suffer being wrong.

No men are oftener wrong than those that can least bear to be so.

Pride is a thing that I have tried to abandon completely. Try as I might, pride still creeps into many of the things I do.

As six-time world karate champion and then a movie star, I put too much trust in who I was, what I could do, and what I acquired. I forgot how much I needed others and especially God.

I don't have an ego. I check it at the door.

I really don't look at my accomplishments. I really don't think about myself much.

I am not immersed in self-admiration.

Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility.

↑ top up position down The fact that I suspect I'm an asshole means I probably am not, because a real asshole doesn't think he's an asshole, does he? Therefore, by realizing that I'm an asshole, I am in fact negating that very realization, am I not? Descartes's Asshole Axiom: I think I am; therefor I'm not one.