100 Humility Quotes That Will Make You Feel Powerful

By Maxime Lagacé

Maxime is the founder of WisdomQuotes. He has been collecting quotes since 2004. His goal? To help you develop a calm and peaceful mind. Learn more about him on his about page.

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!

humility quotes great man always willing little ralph waldo emerson wisdom

A great man is always willing to be little. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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There’s no need to show off when you know who you are. Maxime Lagacé

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Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real. Thomas Merton

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Mastery begins with humility. Robin Sharma

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Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world. Miyamoto Musashi

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Every person that you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them. H. Jackson Brown Jr

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We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility. Rabindranath Tagore

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The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it. Criss Jami

humility quotes never look down anybody unless youre helping them jesse jackson wisdom

Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up. Jesse Jackson

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To lead the people, walk behind them. Lao Tzu

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Perfection is impossible without humility. Why should I strive for perfection, if I am already good enough? Leo Tolstoy

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Humility is the essence of love and intelligence; it is not an achievement. Jiddu Krishnamurti

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Humility, that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot. Thomas Moore

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Humility will open more doors than arrogance ever will. Zig Ziglar

humility quotes true knowledge exists knowing that you know nothing socrates wisdom

True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing. Socrates

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The Best Humility Quotes

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humility quotes nothing truth pride lying saint vincent de paul wisdom woman

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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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humility quotes surest sign strength thomas merton wisdom nature hike

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

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Searching for a famous humility quote? Check out those by Thoreau, Emerson, Einstein, etc.
humility quotes keep your eyes stars feet ground theodore roosevelt wisdom sunset silhouette nature sky

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)

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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)

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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

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

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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

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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

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One-liners, short humility quotes, thoughts, and captions for your bio, social status, self-talk, motto, mantra, signs, posters, wallpapers, and backgrounds.
humility quotes true genius admits knows nothing albert einstein wisdom man smartphone speaking smiling

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)

humility quotes stay true dark humble spotlight harold lee wisdom

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

humility quotes someone who brags red flag maxime lagace wisdom man

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

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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

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Conclusion

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humility quotes live free dont preted show off maxime lagace wisdom woman

To live free is to live in humility: you don’t pretend, you don’t show off. Maxime Lagacé

Key Takeaways

  • 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)

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.

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Author Bio

maxime lagace

Maxime Lagacé started collecting quotes in 2004 after he lost his girlfriend in a car accident.

In search of meaning, he dived in the self-improvement world, psychology and trail running.

Books, blogs, quotes and nature became his guide.

He started journaling, reflecting, writing his thoughts, feelings and quotes.

His goal was to understand his pain, his depression, his fears, his lack of motivation and inspiration.

He finished his software engineering degree in 2007 at the École de Technologie Supérieure de Montréal.

A few years later, he started his first website to share his love of quotes.

Maxime is a father of two, husband, and INFJ.

Other notable interests of Maxime are health (mental and physical), meditation, bananas, SEO, human potential, and education.

You can find him on X, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube.

Last update

September 2, 2022

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