--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have to admit it humbly, mon cher…" description: "\"“I have to admit it humbly, mon cher compatriote, I was always bursting with vanity. I, I, I is the refrain of my whole life, which could be heard in e..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/albert-camus-47_little-time_i-have-to-admit-it-humbly-mon-cher-compa_2454311.jpg" --- # I have to admit it humbly, mon cher compatriote, I was… ![“I have to admit it humbly, mon cher compatriote, I was always bursting with vanity. I, I, I is the refrain of my whole life, which could be heard in everything I said. I could never talk without boasting, especially if I did so with that shattering discretion that was my specialty. It is quite…” quote by Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/albert-camus-47_little-time_i-have-to-admit-it-humbly-mon-cher-compa_2454311.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/albert-camus-47_little-time_i-have-to-admit-it-humbly-mon-cher-compa_2454311.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac1/albert-camus-47_little-time_i-have-to-admit-it-humbly-mon-cher-compa_2454311.jpg) > ““I have to admit it humbly, mon cher compatriote, I was always bursting with vanity. I, I, I is the refrain of my whole life, which could be heard in everything I said. I could never talk without boasting, especially if I did so with that shattering discretion that was my specialty. It is quite true that I always lived free and powerful. I simply felt released in the regard to all the for the excellent reason that I recognized no equals. I always considered myself more intelligent than everyone else, as I’ve told you, but also more sensitive and more skillful, a crack shot, an incomparable driver, a better lover. Even in the fields in which it was easy for me to verify my inferiority–like tennis, for instance, in which I was but a passable partner–it was hard for me not to think that, with a little time and practice, I would surpass the best players. I admitted only superiorities in me and this explained my good will and serenity. When I was concerned with others, I was so out of pure condescension, in utter freedom, and all the credit went to me: my self-esteem would go up a degree.”” [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker boasts about his superiority and vanity, claiming constant confidence and condescension toward others. **In simple terms:** He constantly boasts and feels superior. Key Takeaway Recognize humility and self‑awareness. Themes vanity ego self‑esteem confidence condescension Mood reflective critical introspective Type philosophical literary character study When to use this quote - personal relationships - career advancement - sports competition - creative pursuits Key Concepts existentialism self‑deception hubris Questions to Reflect On - Do you often compare yourself to others? - How does humility affect your relationships? A Different Perspective Overconfidence can blind one to genuine growth and connection. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Little time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-time/) [Lover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lover/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) ## Related quotes > [Compose with utter freedom and edit with utter discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/compose-with-utter-freedom-and-edit-with-utter-discipline/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [“But before you forget, while you sit stagnant in your little corner of the board, there is one piece that obeys almost no rules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacquelyn-frank/but-before-you-forget-while-you-sit-stagnant-in-your-little-corner-of/) [Jacquelyn Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacquelyn-frank/) > [Idealism is the death of the body and the imagination. 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I spend very little time, looking backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/i-m-just-always-looking-forwards-i-spend-very-little-time-looking/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) ## More by Albert Camus > [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [Generally, I like all islands. 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Away from us so stay, stay with me I can make. Make you glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-wanted/can-you-spend-a-little-time-time-is-slipping-away-away-from-us-so/) [The Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-wanted/) > [“when my mother was pregnant with her second child i was four i pointed at her swollen belly confused at how my mother had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupi-kaur/when-my-mother-was-pregnant-with-her-second-child-i-was-four-i/) [Rupi Kaur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupi-kaur/) > [Nothing annoys academics more than pointing out how little time they actually spend teaching students.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sykes/nothing-annoys-academics-more-than-pointing-out-how-little-time-they/) [Charlie Sykes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sykes/) > [“The evangelical wing of the Church spends a lot of energy on being "born again" but little time on "growing up" again. 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It's more acute in the beginning and after a little time you settle back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-lifeson/the-shock-of-any-trauma-i-think-changes-your-life-it-s-more-acute-in/) [Alex Lifeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-lifeson/) [Browse all 665 Little time quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-time/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I have to admit it humbly, mon cher compatriote, I was always bursting with vanity. I, I, I is the refrain of my whole life, which could be heard in everything I said. I could never talk without boasting, especially if I did so with that shattering discretion that was my specialty. It is quite true that I always lived free and powerful. I simply felt released in the regard to all the for the excellent reason that I recognized no equals. I always considered myself more intelligent than everyone else, as I’ve told you, but also more sensitive and more skillful, a crack shot, an incomparable driver, a better lover. Even in the fields in which it was easy for me to verify my inferiority–like tennis, for instance, in which I was but a passable partner–it was hard for me not to think that, with a little time and practice, I would surpass the best players. I admitted only superiorities in me and this explained my good will and serenity. 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