Modesty and the dew love the shade. Each shines in the open day only to be exhaled to heaven.
—Jean Antoine Petit-Senn (1792–1870) French-Swiss Lyric Poet
Modesty is the appendage of sobriety, and is to chastity, to temperance, and to humility as the fringes are to a garment.
—Jeremy Taylor
Virtues, like essences, lose their fragrance when exposed. They are sensitive plants, that will not bear too familiar approaches.
—William Shenstone (1714–63) British Poet, Landscape Gardener
Although modesty is natural to man, it is not natural to children. Modesty only begins with the knowledge of evil.
—Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–78) Swiss-born French Philosopher
No really great man ever thought himself so.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Lord Bacon told Sir Edward Coke when he was boasting, The less you speak of your greatness, the more shall I think of it.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
If there is anybody in this land who thoroughly believes that the meek shall inherit the earth they have not often let their presence be known.
—W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963) American Sociologist, Social Reformer
On their own merits modest men are dumb.
—George Colman the Younger (1762–1836) English Playwright, Theatre Manager
Fidelity to conscience is inconsistent with retiring modesty. If it be so, let the modesty succumb. It can be only a false modesty which can be thus endangered.
—Harriet Martineau (1802–76) English Sociologist, Economist, Philosopher, Essayist
Modesty is to merit, as shades to figures in a picture, giving it strength and beauty.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
Modesty is the gentle art of enhancing your charm by pretending not to be aware of it.
—Oliver Herford (1860–1935) Canadian-American Writer, Illustrator
They who are modest will not easily sin.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
The modest man has everything to gain, and the arrogant man everything to lose, for modesty has always to deal with generosity, and arrogance with envy.
—Antoine de Rivarol (1753–1801) French Writer, Epigrammatist
Modesty is the conscience of the body.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
You cannot, I repeat, successfully acquire it and preserve your modesty at the same time.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
I don’t like to write like God. It is only because you never do it, though, that the critics think you can’t do it.
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
No modest man ever did or ever will make a fortune.
—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762) English Aristocrat, Poet, Novelist, Writer
The person who exalts himself … will be humbled, because a person who considers himself to be good, intelligent, and kind will not even try to become better, smarter, kinder. The humble person will be exalted, because he considers himself bad and will try to become better, kinder, and more reasonable.
—Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) Russian Novelist
Ornaments were invented by modesty.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
The good we do to others is spoilt unless we efface ourselves so completely that those we help have no sense of inferiority.
—Honore de Balzac (1799–1850) French Novelist
Modesty is the color of virtue.
—Diogenes Laertius (f.3rd Century CE) Biographer of the Greek Philosophers
Modesty is the lowest of the virtues, and is a real confession of the deficiency it indicates. He who undervalues himself is justly undervalued by others.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Because impudence is a vice, it does not follow that modesty is a virtue; it is built upon shame, a passion in our nature, and may be either good or bad according to the actions performed from that motive.
—Bernard Mandeville (1670–1733) Anglo-Dutch Philosopher, Satirist
A good man is modest.
—The Talmud Sacred Text of the Jewish Faith
False modesty is the refinement of vanity. It is a lie.
—Jean de La Bruyere (1645–96) French Satiric Moralist, Author
Modesty is not only an ornament, but also a guard to virtue.
—Joseph Addison (1672–1719) English Essayist, Poet, Playwright, Politician
True modesty is a discerning grace, and only blushes in the proper place, but counterfeit is blind, and skulks through fear, where ’tis a shame to be ashamed to appear; humility the parent of the first; the last by vanity produced and nursed.
—William Cowper (1731–1800) English Anglican Poet, Hymn writer
No truly great person ever thought themselves so.
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830) English Essayist
Modest expression is a beautiful setting to the diamond of talent and genius.
—Edwin Hubbell Chapin (1814–80) American Preacher, Poet
Usually the modest person passes for someone reserved, the silent for a sullen person
—Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) (65–8 BCE) Roman Poet
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