100 Incredible Humble Quotes for Staying Grounded [2023 Humility Quotes List]

Humble quotes quotes — On the hunt for humble quotes? I hope this post helps!

It’s been said that pride brings out the best and the worst in humans. But there’s one positive trait you can never have too much of — humility.

Granted, it’s sometimes challenging to keep a balanced view of ourselves. If you’re striving to cultivate this beautiful quality, there are many famous quotes about being humble where you can find inspiration.

Keep reading below for 100 “be humble quotes” to aid your journey towards a more humble you.

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Famous Quotes About Being Humble

1. “Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.” — Confucius

2. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” — Matthew 24:12

3. “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.” — Thomas Merton

4. “These are the few ways we can practice humility: To speak as little as possible of one’s self. To mind one’s own business. Not to want to manage other people’s affairs. To accept contradictions and corrections cheerfully. To pass over the mistakes of others. To accept being slighted, forgotten, and disliked. To be kind and gentle even under provocation. Never to stand on one’s dignity. To choose always the hardest.” ― Mother Teresa

5. “Greatness is to stay humble when the whole world calls you great!” — Mehmet Murat Ildan

6. “Humility is the only true wisdom by which we prepare our minds for all the possible changes of life.” — George Arliss

7. “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” ― J.D. Salinger

8. “All streams flow to the sea because it is lower than they are. Humility gives it its power.” — Lao Tzu

9. “I’m always asked, ‘What’s the secret to success?’ But there are no secrets. Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room.” — Dwayne Johnson

10. “I am ignorant of absolute truth. But I am humble before my ignorance and therein lies my honour and my reward.” ― Khalil Gibran

11. “A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all-knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

12. “Pride is the problem, humility is the answer.” — Joyce Meyer

13. “I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.” — Albert Einstein

14. “Being humble means recognizing that we are not on earth to see how important we can become, but to see how much difference we can make in the lives of others.” — Gordon B. Hinckley

15. “Humility is throwing oneself away in complete concentration on something or someone else.” — Madeleine L’Engle

16. “Don’t discount the importance of being humble. There’s a value there far greater than pride can ever provide.” — Kristen Butler

17. “A humble person is more concerned about what is right than about being right, what is right than about being right, about acting on good ideas than having good ideas, about embracing new truth than defending outdated position, about building the team than exalting self, about recognizing contribution, than being recognized for making it.” — Stephen M.R. Covey

18. “Humility exists only in those who are poor enough to see that they possess nothing of their own.” — Angela of Foligno

19. “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world.” — Dr Paul Farmer

20. “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” — Ernest Hemingway

21. “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

Memorable Be Humble Quotes

22. “A true man of honour feels humbled himself when he cannot help humbling others.” — Robert E. Lee

23. “Humility is the greatest quality that a man can have, and arrogance is undoubtedly the worst.” — Maulana W. Khan

24. “Humility is to make a right estimate of oneself.” — Charles H. Spurgeon

25. “We are all stumblers, and the beauty and meaning of life are in the stumbling.” — David Brooks

26. “Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.” — Saint Vincent de Paul

27. “Stay humble to the craft and never forget how much it actually takes to be the main character of a documentary.” — Nicole Nielsen Horanyi

28. “Humility is the most difficult of all virtues to achieve; nothing dies harder than the desire to think well of self.” — T. S. Eliot

29. “Humility is the ability to give up your pride and still retain your dignity.” — Vanna Bonta

30. “There is something in humility which, strangely enough, exalts the heart, and something in pride which debases it.” — Saint Augustine

31. “Modesty is the gentle art of enhancing your charm by pretending not to be aware of it.” — Oliver Herford

32. “You shouldn’t gloat about anything you’ve done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do.” — David Packard

33. “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” — Jesse Jackson

34. “Selflessness is humility. Humility and freedom go hand in hand. Only a humble person can be free.” — Jeff Wilson

35. “There is beauty and humility in imperfection.” — Guillermo del Toro

36. “I always say be humble but be firm. Humility and openness are the keys to success without compromising your beliefs.” — George Hickenlooper

37. “Real genius is nothing else but the supernatural virtue of humility in the domain of thought.” — Simone Weil

38. “Humility is clearer-eyed than ego – and that’s important because humility always works harder than ego.” — Ryan Holiday

39. “Humility, like the darkness, reveals the heavenly lights.” — Henry David Thoreau

40. “Humility isn’t denying your strengths; it’s being honest about your weaknesses.” — Rick Warren

41. “Those who are believed to be most abject and humble are usually the most ambitious and envious.” — Baruch Spinoza

42. “Stay true in the dark and humble in the spotlight.” — Harold B. Lee

43. “The measure of who we are is how we react to something that does not go our way.” — Gregg Popovich

44. “The greatest act of faith is when a man understands he is not God.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Inspiring Quotes on Being Humble

45. “The greatest friend of truth is time, her greatest enemy is prejudice, and her constant companion is humility.” — Charles Caleb Colton

46. “Do you wish people to think well of you? Don’t speak well of yourself.” — Blaise Pascal

47. “Be kind, work hard, stay humble, smile often, stay loyal, be honest, travel when possible, never stop learning, love always.” — Unknown

48. “To share your weakness is to make yourself vulnerable; to make yourself vulnerable is to show your strength.” ― Criss Jami

49. “Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” — John Wooden

50. “I am … humble enough to know I’m not better than anyone else, but wise enough to know I am different.” — Unknown

51. “True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.” — Socrates

52. “Humility leads to strength and not to weakness. It is the highest form of self-respect to admit mistakes and to make amends for them.” — John J. McCloy

53. “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” — Ernest Hemingway

54. “Humility is not a weak or timid quality; it must be carefully distinguished from a grovelling or cringing spirit. There is such a thing as honest pride and self-respect.” — Samuel Smiles

55. “The greatest lesson in life is to know that even fools are right sometimes.” — Winston S. Churchill

56. “Stay humble and never think that you are better than anyone else. We are all humans and crave acceptance and love.” — Unknown

57. “Learning is a feeling between humility and simplicity.” — Alan Maiccon

58. “Success is not a good teacher, failure makes you humble.” — Shah Rukh Khan

59. “The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.” — Vincent de Paul

60. “Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.” — G.K. Chesterton

61. “Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.” — John Madden

62. “One cannot be humble and aware of oneself at the same time.” — Madeleine L’Engle

63. “Humility is the true key to success. Successful people lose their way at times. They often embrace and overindulge from the fruits of success. Humility halts this arrogance and self-indulging trap. Humble people share the credit and wealth, remaining focused and hungry to continue the journey of success.” — Rick Pitino

64. “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.” ― Mother Teresa

65. “There is no respect for others without humility in one’s self.” — Henri Frederic Amiel

66. “In reality, humility means nothing other than complete honesty about yourself.” — William Countryman

67. “‘Thank you’ is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, and understanding.” — Alice Walker

Short & Sweet Stay Humble Quotes

68. “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” — C.S. Lewis

69. “Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing.” — Camille Pissarro

70. “Humility is the surest sign of strength.” — Thomas Merton

71. “Being humble is to be felt, it’s not something that you show off.” — Naya

72. “Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.” — Miyamoto Musashi

73. “True humility is staying teachable, regardless of how much you already know.” — Unknown

74. “The praise that comes from love does not make us vain, but more humble.” — James M. Barrie

75. “Humility is the foundation by which love manifests.” — Radhanath Swami

76. “If your pain doesn’t lead to humility, you have wasted your suffering.” — Katerina Stoykova Klemer

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

78. “A great man is always willing to be little.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

79. “Humility will open more doors than arrogance ever will.” — Zig Ziglar

80. “Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.” — Ezra T. Benson

81. “A mistake that makes us humble is better than an achievement that makes us arrogant.” — Unknown

82. “Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” — Nelson Mandela

83. “I am sufficiently proud of my knowing something to be modest about my not knowing all.” — Vladimir Nabokov

84. “Without humility, there can be no humanity.” — John Buchan

85. “If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility.” — Augustine

86. “The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk.” — Unknown

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

88. “True humility is being able to accept criticisms as graciously as we accept compliments.” — Sabrina Newby

89. “Knowledge is proud that it knows so much; wisdom is humble that it knows no more.” — William Cowper

90. “Every day I feel humble when I experience the vibrational essence of my world.” — Debbie A. Anderson

91. “To lead the people, walk behind them.” — Lao Tzu

92. “Humility is the most beautiful virtue that we can develop.” — Joyce Meyer

93. “What is most needed for learning is a humble mind.” — Confucius

94. “Stay humble. Always answer your phone, no matter who else is in the car.” — Jack Lemmon

95. “I’m no leader; I’m a little humble follower.” — Muhammad Ali

96. “The biggest challenge after success is shutting up about it.” — Criss Jami

97. “If you’re not humble, life will visit humbleness upon you.” — Mike Tyson

98. “It is always the secure who are humble.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton

99. “One may be humble out of pride.” — Michel de Montaigne

100. “It is better to be humble and happy than to be arrogant and lonely.” — Darlene Bennett

Being Humble Quotes to Live By

Adopting a balanced view of yourself is sure to lead to a happy and successful life.

To help in your quest, commit some of these humble quotes to memory! You might also consider posting some stay humble quotes in visible places — like your bathroom mirror or your workplace desk — so you’ll always have the reminders you need.

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