Luxury is the wolf at the door and its fangs are the vanities and conceits germinated by success. When an artist learns this he knows where the danger is.

But actually so many of the clerics that I've met particularly the Church of England clerics are people of such extraordinary smugness and arrogance and conceitedness who are extraordinarily presumptuous about the significance of their position in society.

If we long to believe that the stars rise and set for us that we are the reason there is a Universe does science do us a disservice in deflating our conceits?

Even the weakest disputant is made so conceited by what he calls religion as to think himself wiser than the wisest who think differently from him.

Conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long even if it is the consciousness of possessing and using it well should satisfy one and the great charm of all power is modesty.

Whenever nature leaves a hole in a person's mind she generally plasters it over with a thick coat of self-conceit.

You have a good many little gifts and virtues but there is no need of parading them for conceit spoils the finest genius. There is not much danger that real talent or goodness will be overlooked long and the great charm of all power is modesty.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

Frivolity is inborn conceit acquired by education.