Thomas Merton Quotes

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

What hypocrites we seem to be whenever we talk of ourselves! Our words sound so humble, while our hearts are so proud.

A man may be humble through vainglory.

Modesty is only arrogance by stealth.

It's a fine thing to rise above pride, but you must have pride in order to do so.

One may be humble out of pride.

If you are too proud, you don't do business.

False modesty can be worse than arrogance.

Pride works frequently under a dense mask, and will often assume the garb of humility.

The true way to be deceived is to think oneself more knowing than others.

I don't like false modesty.

Pride is at the bottom of a great many errors and corruptions, and even of many evil practices, which have a great show and appearance of humility.

Catch {a man} at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, "By jove, I'm being humble," and almost immediately pride - pride at his own humility - will appear.

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.

Pride blinds people to the truth of what they are.

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.

A man is never so proud as when striking an attitude of humility.

He whose pride oppresses the humble may perhaps be humbled, but will never be humble.

In the fallen there is danger of pride and vainglory, since they prefer their own judgment to the judgment of everyone else, usurping what is not their own by setting themselves up as judges in their own cause when the rightful judge is their superior.

Don't be humble... you're not that great.

Apology is only egotism wrong side out.

Modesty, tis a virtue not often found among poets, for almost every one of them thinks himself the greatest in the world.

There are two kinds of egotists: Those who admit it, and the rest of us.

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.

When boasting ends, there dignity begins.