The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
When we come to judge others it is not by ourselves as we really are that we judge them, but by an image that we have formed of ourselves from which we have left out everything that offends our vanity or would discredit us in the eyes of the world.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We often judge others based on an idealized image of ourselves rather than our true nature.
This quote by W. Somerset Maugham suggests that when we evaluate others, our judgments are shaped not by their true selves but by a distorted image of our own identity, selectively omitting aspects that we find unflattering. The observation emphasizes a common human tendency to maintain a facade for social acceptance, leading to a biased perspective when viewing the actions and qualities of others.
Themes
JudgmentVanitySelf-ImagePhilosophyBias
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about self-perception and biases, this quote can illustrate how our self-esteem impacts our views of others.
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I don't think of the past. The only thing that matters is the everlasting present.
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The world is quickly bored by the recital of misfortune, and willing avoids the sight of distress.
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There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.
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