John Selden Quotes

Humility is a virtue all preach, none practice; and yet everybody is content to hear.

I don't think modesty is a very good virtue, if it is a virtue at all. A modest person will drop the modesty in a minute. It's a learned affectation.

Humility is, of all graces, the chiefest when it does not know itself to be a grace at all.

Humility is a virtue when you have no other.

Humility is indeed beatness, a compulsory virtue that no one exhibits unless he has to.

Modesty makes large amends for the pain it gives those who labor under it, by the prejudice it affords every worthy person in their favor.

A modest person seldom fails to gain the goodwill of those he converses with, because nobody envies a man who does not appear to be pleased with himself.

What is modesty but inverted pride?

Humility enforces where neither virtue nor strength can prevail, nor reason.

Plenty of people want to be pious, but no one yearns to be humble.

Modesty is policy, no less than virtue.

I think 'modesty' is a beautiful word today - and a beautiful attitude.

...If humility does not precede all that we do, our efforts are fruitless.

Modesty is the delicate form of hypocrisy.

Humility is like a tree, whose root when it sets deepest in the earth rises higher, and spreads fairer and stands surer, and lasts longer, and every step of its descent is like a rib of iron.

I believe humility is a virtue, but I prefer not to use it unless it is absolutely necessary.

One who is unassuming in dealing with people exhibits his arrogance all the more strongly in dealing with things (city, state, society, age, mankind). That is his revenge.

Humility must always be doing its work like a bee making honey in the hive: without humility all will be lost.

Modesty is a learned affectation. It's no good. Humility is great, because humility says, 'There was someone before me. I'm following in somebody's footsteps.'

We must not confuse humility with false modesty or servility.

Humility is considered an un-masculine quality.

Humility has the toughest hide.

Be modest! It is the kind of pride least likely to offend.

Thy modesty 's a candle to thy merit.

Humility must accompany all our actions, must be with us everywhere; for as soon as we glory in our good works they are of no further value to our advancement in virtue.