By Maxime Lagacé
Maxime is the founder and chief editor of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm, powerful, and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.
NEW: Get The Peace of Mind Checklist. It's free.
The benefits of humility:
- You inspire people
- You never stop learning
- You make the world a better place
But the question is:
are you one of the 10 to 15% of adults who are highly humble?
If not, you should try it!
Here are 100 of the most inspiring humility quotes I’ve collected since 2004.
And my goal is simple:
to make you realize being humble is beautiful.
You’ll discover quotes from the humblest people ever: Einstein, Mother Teresa, Mandela, Gandhi, and more.
Enjoy!
A great man is always willing to be little. Ralph Waldo Emerson
There’s no need to show off when you know who you are. Maxime Lagacé
Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real. Thomas Merton
Mastery begins with humility. Robin Sharma
Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world. Miyamoto Musashi
Every person that you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them. H. Jackson Brown Jr
We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility. Rabindranath Tagore
The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it. Criss Jami
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up. Jesse Jackson
To lead the people, walk behind them. Lao Tzu
Perfection is impossible without humility. Why should I strive for perfection, if I am already good enough? Leo Tolstoy
Humility is the essence of love and intelligence; it is not an achievement. Jiddu Krishnamurti
Humility, that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot. Thomas Moore
Humility will open more doors than arrogance ever will. Zig Ziglar
True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. Socrates
Related
- 100 Ego Quotes To Become Less Egocentric (And More Loving)
- 71 Generosity Quotes To Make Your World Better
- 81 Compassion Quotes To Keep Your Heart Open
The Best Humility Quotes
Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying. Saint Vincent de Paul
Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues. Confucius
The best of people is the one who humbles himself the more his rank increases. Prophet Muhammad
The only wisdom we can hope to acquire is the wisdom of humility. T.S. Eliot
It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels. Augustine of Hippo
Humility is the proper estimate of oneself. Charles Spurgeon
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. C. S. Lewis
If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are. Mother Teresa
Don’t seek praise. Let your effort speak for itself. Unknown
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame. Alexander Pope
Only the wise are humble. Only the wise learn lessons. Maxime Lagacé
I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university. Albert Einstein
You are going to die. Shay Carl
The young want massive confidence. The wise avoid it. Maxime Lagacé
In humility and honesty you’ll find pain, envy and fear but you’ll also find strength, beauty and truth. Maxime Lagacé
Grateful yet ambitious. Wordly yet wise. Strong yet loving. Robin Sharma
Pride is the problem, humility is the answer. Joyce Meyer
We are all stumblers, and the beauty and meaning of life are in the stumbling. David Brooks
Even when it speaks, humility listens. Thomas Merton
I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men. Lao Tzu
Perhaps wisdom…is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go. Anthony Bourdain
I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance. Diogenes
People search for certainty. But there is no certainty. Richard P. Feynman
In reality, humility means nothing other than complete honesty about yourself. William Countryman
When I look at a person, I see a person – not a rank, not a class, not a title. Criss Jami
What Is Humility?
Humility is the surest sign of strength. Thomas Merton
Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance. Augustine of Hippo
Humility is the key to moral excellence. It is the noblest quality a person can possess. […] It is the mother of all possibilities. Venerable Master Hsin Yun
True humility does not know that it is humble. If it did, it would be proud from the contemplation of so fine a virtue. Martin Luther
Humility is the greatest quality that a man can have, and arrogance is undoubtedly the worst. Maulana W. Khan
Humility is the most beautiful virtue that we can develop. Joyce Meyer
Related: 6 Ways Successful People Stay Humble (themuse.com)
Part 2. Humility Quotes That Are…
The Most Famous Humility Quotes
Searching for a famous humility quote? Check out those by Thoreau, Emerson, Einstein, etc.
Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. Theodore Roosevelt
Religion is to do right. It is to love, it is to serve, it is to think, it is to be humble. Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. Ernest Hemingway
No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong. Albert Einstein
It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit. Harry S. Truman (33rd U.S. President)
Be humble, hungry and the hardest worker in the room. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it. Colin Powell
It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. Mahatma Gandhi
What are the things that you can’t see that are important? I would say justice, truth, humility, service, compassion, love. You can’t see any of those, but they’re the guiding lights of a life. Jimmy Carter (39th U.S. President)
On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom. Michel de Montaigne
Do you wish people to think well of you? Don’t speak well of yourself. Blaise Pascal
Humility makes great men twice honorable. Benjamin Franklin
Want more peace of mind?
Check our ultimate Peace of Mind Checklist.
It's free.
Nobody has ever expected me to be president. In my poor, lean lank face nobody has ever seen that any cabbages were sprouting. Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President)
I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day. Abraham Lincoln
Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. Martin Luther King Jr
Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose. Bill Gates (Microsoft)
If you’re not humble, life will visit humbleness upon you. Mike Tyson
I truly believe we are all equal as human beings. Conor McGregor
I hear my friends and my mom tell me I’m special, but honestly, I still don’t get it. LeBron James
Flattery is all right so long as you don’t inhale. Adlai Stevenson
Humility, like the darkness, reveals the heavenly lights. Henry David Thoreau
The world tells us to seek success, power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love. Pope Francis
There is a universal respect and even admiration for those who are humble and simple by nature, and who have absolute confidence in all human beings irrespective of their social status. Nelson Mandela
Accept everything which happens, even if it seem disagreeable, because it leads to this, the health of the universe. Marcus Aurelius
Short Humility Quotes
One-liners, short humility quotes, thoughts, and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, and backgrounds.
A true genius admits that he/she knows nothing. Albert Einstein
Blushing is the color of virtue. Diogenes
When we feel humiliated, the best reaction is humility. Simon Sinek
The more humble you are, the higher you will rise. Unknown
It takes a big person to do something small. Joel Osteen
Past success is poisonous to future success. Humility is the antidote. Mike Speiser (Source)
Stay true in the dark and humble in the spotlight. Harold B. Lee
Humility is absolutely necessary for true learning. Robert T. Kiyosaki
Humble people are the most beautiful. Maxime Lagacé
Without humility there can be no humanity. John Buchan
True humility is contentment. Henri Frederic Amiel
Learn to laugh at yourselves as one must laugh! Friedrich Nietzsche
Someone who brags is a red flag. Maxime Lagacé
Humility is not a trait I often associate with America. Mira Nair
The greatest patience is humility. Atiśa Dīpa kara Śrījñāna
Work hard, stay humble. Unknown
Arrogance repels. Humility inspires. Robin Sharma
Humility wins. Love conquers. Robin Sharma
The soft overcomes the hard. The slow overcomes the fast. Lao Tzu
Greatness loves gratitude. Robin Sharma
If I only had a little humility, I’d be perfect. Ted Turner
Stay humble, tables turn quick. Steve Harvey (Source)
He who tries to shine dims his own light. Lao Tzu
Nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected. William Safire
There is beauty and humility in imperfection. Guillermo del Toro
Conclusion
To live free is to live in humility: you don’t pretend, you don’t show off. Maxime Lagacé
Let’s recap:
- Arrogance is a wall. Humility is a bridge.
- Humility is the art of loving, accepting, listening, and respecting others.
- Remember: Truly great men know their own value and don’t need to show it to others.
- Don’t lie. Don’t pretend. Don’t make yourself appear greater than you truly are. Simply be yourself.
- Want to become “perfect”? Stay humble, all your life.
Further Readings (Values/Behaviors For Great Relationships)
- Topic: Relationships
- 139 Relationship Quotes To Level Up Your Bonding With Others
- 100 Attitude Quotes To Improve Your State Of Mind
- 83 Listening Quotes To Help You Be A Better Listener
- 63 Loyalty Quotes For More Faithfulness In Your Life
- 100 Integrity Quotes That Will Empower You
- 100 Forgiveness Quotes That Will Free Yourself
- 100 Kindness Quotes That Will Open Your Heart
- 100 Peace Quotes To Inspire A Better World
I hope you enjoyed these beautiful humility quotes.
And remember, humility is about not taking yourself seriously and having some fun.
Now, if you did enjoy the quotes, please share them with a friend today!
Do you consider yourself humble? What’s your favorite humility quote? And remember: words can transform your life, if you find the right ones.
Table Of Contents
Part 1
Top 15 Images
Best Quotes
What Is Humility?
Part 2
Humility Quotes That ARE
Famous
Short
Part 3
Conclusion