Bescheidenheit ist eine Zier, doch weiter kommt man ohne ihr
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Alternative forms
- Bescheidenheit ist eine Zier, doch besser lebt man ohne ihr
Etymology
Ascribed to Erich Kästner. Literally, “modesty/humility is an ornament (i.e. a virtue), but one gets further without it”. The dative case after ohne is now ungrammatical, but used to be fairly common; it is needed here for the rhyme.
Proverb
Bescheidenheit ist eine Zier, doch weiter kommt man ohne ihr
- Being modest and humble is a morally commendable approach in life, but it is not usually the most productive in terms of personal success.
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