James Stephens Quotes

Entitlement is lethal.

By my count, more business leaders have failed and derailed because of arrogance than any other character flaw.

As far as big egos, there are definitely guys out there that just think God only knows what about themselves.

Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive to us than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive.

A lot of self-importance goes on in the fashion industry. I'm not like that.

Pride is an independent, me-oriented spirit. It makes people arrogant, rude and hard to get along with. When our heart is prideful, we don't give God the credit and we mistreat people, looking down on them and thinking we deserve what we have.

Such is the nature of men, that howsoever they may acknowledge many others to be more witty, or more eloquent, or more learned; yet they will hardly believe there be many so wise as themselves.

The silent killer of all great men and women of achievement - particularly men, I don't know why, maybe it's the testosterone - I think it's narcissism. Even more than hubris. And for women, too. Narcissism is the killer.

I've been asked many times if I considered myself a narcissist, so I looked up the real meaning of the word, and I came to the conclusion that indeed I am one. I think of myself as better than other people, not every person, but many, unique and talented, and I aim to success.

You aren't that big a hot shot that we'd build this for you.

Unbridled arrogance is worse than pride; for if pride will not break a superior, arrogance will not brook and equal.

It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional

I had this attitude, that Silicon Valley obnoxious attitude, that I know what I'm doing, and the rest was going to be pretty easy.

I find it alarming that people are so convinced they're the best at anything - presenting, hairdressing, getting dressed.

Provided a man is not mad, he can be cured of every folly but vanity; there is no cure for this but experience, if indeed there is any cure for it at all.

Everyone is an idiot," I stated. "Except me.

The biggest turn-off for me is people who think the world of themselves. Arrogance is not a sexy quality, and it really gets on my nerves.

An ostentatious man will rather relate a blunder or an absurdity he has committed, than be debarred from talking of his own dear person.

Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.

Vanity can easily overtake wisdom. It usually overtakes common sense.

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

Ego is one of the biggest weapons that is used to take us down. It's self-destructive. It's a problem on all levels - even regular people can have big ego problems.

I now know all the people worth knowing in America, and I find no intellect comparable to my own.

I don't think about other people. If I did, I'd wanna compete. But I don't think like that, because I'm above everybody.

Egotism is not a good quality. It's not something to be admired or even tolerated. It wouldn't be tolerated in a field commander and it shouldn't be tolerated in a movie director.