These 50 humility quotes include famous lines from writers, scientists and spiritual thinkers, followed by original short, funny and student-friendly lines you can use in a card, a caption or a speech. They suit anyone who wants to stay grounded after success or teach the value of listening. The strongest line is Ralph Waldo Emerson’s: “A great man is always willing to be little.”
Humility is an honest, unexaggerated view of yourself that leaves room for other people’s ideas, needs and credit. The attributed quotes below are limited to lines with well-documented sources. Many popular “humble” quotes online carry names they don’t deserve. The line “A true genius admits that he knows nothing,” for example, has no reliable source tying it to Albert Einstein, so it isn’t included here.
Famous humility quotes that define the virtue
These classic humility quotes explain what humility is and what it isn’t. They work well for a speech opener, a sermon, a leadership talk or a framed print.
- “A great man is always willing to be little.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Compensation”
- “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” — Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life
- “Pride does not look up to God and care about what is right. It looks sideways to man and argues who is right.” — Ezra Taft Benson, “Cleansing the Inner Vessel” (1986)
- “Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility.” — Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography (Franklin is writing about pride, the vice he found hardest to beat.)
- “The first part is humility; the second, humility; the third, humility.” — Saint Augustine, Letter 118
- “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” — Rabindranath Tagore, Stray Birds
- “Angels can fly because they can take themselves lightly.” — G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy
- “If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.” — Mother Teresa, In the Heart of the World
Humility quotes about learning, wisdom and service
These lines connect humility to curiosity, honest knowledge and serving others. They fit graduation remarks, teacher appreciation notes and team meetings after a mistake.
- “Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.” — Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography
- “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” — Isaac Newton, letter to Robert Hooke, 1675
- “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.” — Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man
- “When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it; this is knowledge.” — Confucius, Analects
- “A humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than a deep search after learning.” — Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ
- “Life is a long lesson in humility.” — James M. Barrie, The Little Minister
- “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, Harijan (1940)
- “We are not here 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, Way to Be!
Short humility quotes
These short humility quotes are original lines written for this list. Each one is under 12 words, so it fits a caption, a sticky note or a whiteboard.
- “Confidence speaks. Humility listens, then speaks better.”
- “Be big enough to say, ‘I was wrong.'”
- “Nobody ever learned anything while proving they already knew it.”
- “Hold your wins lightly and your lessons tightly.”
- “Humility is honesty about your size.”
- “Stand tall. Just don’t stand on anyone.”
- “Credit is a gift. Give it away often.”
- “The ground is a good teacher. Stay close to it.”
- “Pride shouts. Humility doesn’t have to.”
- “Know your worth without needing to announce it.”
Humility quotes for students
These humility quotes for students are original lines written for this list. They are aimed at classrooms, locker-room talks, yearbooks and the first week of a new school year.
- “The smartest question in class is the one you were afraid to ask.”
- “A good grade is a moment. A teachable heart lasts.”
- “Raise your hand when you’re lost. Half the class is lost too.”
- “You don’t have to be the best in the room to make the room better.”
- “Every expert you admire once failed the basics.”
- “Ask for help early. It’s faster than pretending.”
- “Win like you expect to lose someday. Lose like you plan to win again.”
- “Learning starts the minute you stop defending what you thought you knew.”
Funny humility quotes
These funny humility quotes are original lines written for this list. Light humor works when you want to keep someone humble without lecturing them, such as in a birthday card, a roast or a retirement toast.
- “I’d tell you how humble I am, but that would ruin it.”
- “Your dog thinks you’re wonderful. Your cat has notes.”
- “Nothing builds character like waving back at someone who was waving at the person behind you.”
- “My ego and I are working on our relationship. It’s going slowly.”
- “Want a lesson in humility? Assemble furniture without the instructions.”
- “Every time I think I’ve mastered life, my GPS says ‘recalculating.'”
- “I used to think I was always right. Then I had kids.”
Quotes on humility, gratitude and kindness
These quotes on humility and gratitude are original lines written for this list. They fit thank-you notes, award acceptance remarks and messages to the people who helped you get somewhere.
- “Gratitude is humility that remembered to say thank you.”
- “Nobody gets anywhere alone. Thank the people who carried part of the load.”
- “Kindness costs nothing, but pride will tell you it’s too expensive.”
- “Treat the janitor and the CEO the same, and you’ll never worry about who’s watching.”
- “Say ‘thank you’ more often than you say ‘I did it.'”
- “A humble heart has more room for other people.”
- “Every success has a long list of names behind it. Learn them.”
- “Be gracious in the spotlight. Somebody else set up the lights.”
- “The kindest people rarely keep score.”
This collection does not include scripture. If you want Bible verses on humility, a study Bible or concordance will list them by topic.
How to use these quotes
- Card or note wording. Pair one line with a specific thank-you, for example: “‘Nobody gets anywhere alone.’ Thank you for every late night you spent helping me prepare.”
- Social captions. Choose a quote under 12 words from the short group so it reads in one glance. Let it stand alone after a big announcement instead of adding more bragging.
- Speech or presentation opener. Open with Newton’s “shoulders of Giants” line, then name 2 or 3 people whose work made yours possible. The quote turns into a natural thank-you.
- Journaling prompt. Write Benson’s line at the top of the page and answer one question: “Where did I care more about being right than about what was right this week?”
- Double-check before you print. Before you engrave or frame an attributed quote, confirm that it appears in the named book, letter or speech. Misattributed lines spread quickly, and an original line with no name is better than a famous name on the wrong words.
FAQ
– What did C.S. Lewis say about humility?
C.S. Lewis wrote about humility in “The Great Sin,” a chapter of Mere Christianity. In that chapter he calls pride the worst vice and says a truly humble person isn’t preoccupied with thinking about himself. The popular line “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less” is a paraphrase of that idea, not Lewis’s exact words. A version of it appears in Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life.
– What did Benjamin Franklin say about humility?
Benjamin Franklin listed humility as the 13th virtue in his self-improvement plan and summed it up as “Imitate Jesus and Socrates.” In his Autobiography he admits he never fully mastered it. He also joked that if he had beaten pride, he would “probably be proud of my humility.”
– How do you show true humility?
You show true humility through everyday habits rather than by talking about yourself less:
- Share credit. Name the people who helped you, out loud.
- Own mistakes quickly. Admit errors without excuses.
- Ask questions. Ask more than you assert.
- Be courteous to everyone. Treat people the same regardless of their status.
Humility doesn’t mean putting yourself down. It means seeing yourself accurately.
– What does humility mean?
Humility means having an honest, modest view of your own importance, abilities and limits. The word comes from the Latin humilis, meaning “low,” which is related to humus, meaning “earth.” That is why people describe humble people as “grounded.” Humility is different from low self-esteem: a humble person can be confident and still stay open to correction.
– What are 5 wise quotes about humility?
Five wise quotes about humility from this list are Emerson’s “A great man is always willing to be little,” Newton’s “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants,” Darwin’s “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge,” Barrie’s “Life is a long lesson in humility,” and Tagore’s “We come nearest to the great when we are great in humility.” Each one is short enough to memorize and well documented to its author.