Jane Austen Quotes

We are never deceived; we deceive ourselves.

People may flatter themselves just as much by thinking that their faults are always present to other people's minds, as if they believe that the world is always contemplating their individual charms and virtues.

If we never flattered ourselves we should have but scant pleasure.

He who knows himself well is mean and abject in his own sight, and takes no delight in the vain praise of men.

Every one at the bottom of his heart cherishes vanity; even the toad thinks himself good-looking,--"rather tawny perhaps, but look at his eye!

A man's own vanity is a swindler that never lacks for a dupe.

Is there any vanity greater than the vanity of those who believe themselves without it?

It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us.

If we could see ourselves as others see us, we would vanish on the spot.

Fondly we think we honor merit then, When we but praise ourselves in other men.

None are more taken in by flattery than the proud, who wish to be the first and are not.

One goes on with the blithe belief that who you really are is transparent to everybody. Then you realise, with some horror, that in fact it's not. So all you can do is keep muddying the waters a bit.

I'm not conceited. Conceit is a fault and I have no faults.

The longer I am out of office, the more infallible I appear to myself.

It is not love that should be depicted as blind, but self-love.

You can't control how you are perceived, and you are a fool if you waste any energy trying to do so. Vanity will get you nowhere.

If we did not flatter ourselves, the flattery of others could never harm us.

It's always nice to hear nice things, but I don't suddenly go out and think I'm the best thing since sliced bread.

If a man thinks he is not conceited, he is very conceited indeed.

Self-love is the greatest of all flatterers.

He who denies his own vanity usually possesses it in so brutal a form that he instinctively shuts his eyes to avoid the necessity of despising himself.

Everyone flatters himself and carries a kingdom in his breast.

The greatest human virtue bears no proportion to human vanity. We always think ourselves better than we are, and are generally desirous that others should think us still better than we think ourselves. To praise us for actions or dispositions which deserve praise is not to confer a benefit, but to pay a tribute. We have always pretensions to fame which, in our own hearts, we know to be disputable, and which we are desirous to strengthen by a new suffrage; we have always hopes which we suspect to be fallacious, and of which we eagerly snatch at every confirmation.

He had the vanity to believe men did not like him – while men simply did not know him.