When one remains modest, not after praise but after blame, then is he really so.
Original text (German)
Original text (German)
The virtues, like the body, become strong more by labor than by nourishment.
The past and future are veiled; but the past wears the widow's veil; the future, the virgin's.
Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
At very best, a person wrapped up in himself makes a small package.
Modesty is an unnatural attitude, and one which is only with difficulty taught to children.
Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Jean Paul (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.