Meaningful Quotes. Thoughtful Insights. Helpful Tools.
Advanced Search Options

Quotes about Humility

As long as we secretly adore ourselves, our own deficiencies will remain to torture us with an apparent defilement. But if we live for others, we will gradually discover that no one expects us to be "as gods." We will see that we are human, like everyone else, that we all have weaknesses and deficiencies, and that these limitations of ours play a most important part in all our lives. It is because of them that we need others and others need us.
- Thomas Merton
the humble man takes whatever there is in the world that helps him to find God and leaves the rest aside. He
- Thomas Merton
The point where you become free not to kill, not to exploit, not to destroy, not to compete, because you are no longer afraid of death or the devil or poverty or failure. If you discover this nakedness, you'd better keep it private. People don't like it.
- Thomas Merton
For true humility is, in a way, a very real despair: despair of myself, in order that I may hope entirely in You.
- Thomas Merton
We do not want to be beginners. But let us be convinced of the fact that we will never be anything else but beginners, all our life!
- Thomas Merton
The whole of life is to spiritualize our activities by humility and faith, to silence our nature by charity.
- Thomas Merton
The proud man loves his own illusion and self-sufficiency. The spiritually poor man loves his very insufficiency.
- Thomas Merton
When humility delivers a man from attachment to his own works and his own reputation, he discovers that perfect joy is possible only when we have completely forgotten ourselves. And it is only when we pay no more attention to our own deeds and our own reputation and our own excellence that we are at last completely free to serve God in perfection for His own sake alone.
- Thomas Merton
True simplicity implies love and trust—it does not expect to be derided and rejected, any more than it expects to be admired and praised.
- Thomas Merton
Those who imagine that they can discover special gimmicks and put them to work for themselves usually ignore God's will and his grace.
- Thomas Merton
LXXXI ABBOT PASTOR was asked by a certain brother: How should I conduct myself in the place where I live? The elder replied: Be as cautious as a stranger; wherever you may be, do not desire your word to have power before you, and you will have rest.
- Thomas Merton
A contemplative is not one who takes his prayer seriously, but one who takes God seriously, who is famished for truth, who seeks to live in generous simplicity, in the spirit. An ardent and sincere humility is the best protection for his life of prayer.
- Thomas Merton