--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Carved on the temple [at Delphi] were the…" description: "\"“Carved on the temple [at Delphi] were the exhortations \"Know yourself\" and \"Nothing too much,\" mottoes with a similar meaning: You are only human, so ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c4/barry-b-powell-61147_greek-myth_carved-on-the-temple-at-delphi-were-the_982498.jpg" --- # Carved on the temple \[at Delphi\] were the exhortations… ![“Carved on the temple [at Delphi] were the exhortations "Know yourself" and "Nothing too much," mottoes with a similar meaning: You are only human, so don't try more than you are able (or you will pay the price). A recurring theme in Greek myth is the man or woman who loses sight of human…” quote by Barry B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c4/barry-b-powell-61147_greek-myth_carved-on-the-temple-at-delphi-were-the_982498.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c4/barry-b-powell-61147_greek-myth_carved-on-the-temple-at-delphi-were-the_982498.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c4/barry-b-powell-61147_greek-myth_carved-on-the-temple-at-delphi-were-the_982498.jpg) > ““Carved on the temple \[at Delphi\] were the exhortations "Know yourself" and "Nothing too much," mottoes with a similar meaning: You are only human, so don't try more than you are able (or you will pay the price). A recurring theme in Greek myth is the man or woman who loses sight of human limitations and acts arrogantly and with violence, as if immortal. And pays a terrible price.”” [Barry B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-b-powell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns against overreaching beyond human limits, urging humility and self‑knowledge to avoid disastrous consequences. **In simple terms:** Know your limits to avoid ruin. Key Takeaway Respect your limits. Themes humility self‑knowledge hubris Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision‑making - leadership - risk assessment - conflict resolution Key Concepts Greek mythology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What limits do you ignore? - How can humility guide your actions? A Different Perspective Even with self‑knowledge, ambition can blind us. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greek myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-myth/) [Greek mythology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-mythology/) [Hubris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hubris/) [Myth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/myth/) [Pay the price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-the-price/) ## Related quotes > [Over the entrance to the temple at Delphi was a famous inscription: KNOW THYSELF! It reminded visitors that man must never believe himself to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jostein-gaarder/over-the-entrance-to-the-temple-at-delphi-was-a-famous-inscription/) [Jostein Gaarder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jostein-gaarder/) > [With our human limitations we're not always able to understand the explanations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/with-our-human-limitations-we-re-not-always-able-to-understand-the/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Once your mind becomes absolutely still, your intelligence transcends human limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/once-your-mind-becomes-absolutely-still-your-intelligence-transcends/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [Fear is the foundation of all human limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benny-urquidez/fear-is-the-foundation-of-all-human-limitations/) Benny Urquidez > [Their 'magic' is Art, delivered from many of its human limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/their-magic-is-art-delivered-from-many-of-its-human-limitations/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Many focus on what they perceive as a loss of some vital aspect of our humanity. To me, the sessence of being human is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooke-gladstone/many-focus-on-what-they-perceive-as-a-loss-of-some-vital-aspect-of/) [Brooke Gladstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooke-gladstone/) > [I feel very much that I am a human being, with human limitations, and I need to respect that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-philo/i-feel-very-much-that-i-am-a-human-being-with-human-limitations-and-i/) [Phoebe Philo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-philo/) > [According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/according-to-greek-mythology-humans-were-originally-created-with-four/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [To me, superhero movies are like Greek myth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-jenkins/to-me-superhero-movies-are-like-greek-myth/) [Patty Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-jenkins/) > [“Let us see how high we can fly before the sun melts the wax in our wings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-see-how-high-we-can-fly-before-the-sun-melts-the-wax-in-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The Big Dipper’s also known as The Great Bear? The Greek myth says that Zeus fell in love with a beautiful maiden, Callisto and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-brown/the-big-dipper-s-also-known-as-the-great-bear-the-greek-myth-says/) [Natasha Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-brown/) > [You’re like a god from a Greek myth, Saiman. You have no empathy. You have no concept of the world beyond your ego. Wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/you-re-like-a-god-from-a-greek-myth-saiman-you-have-no-empathy-you/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [It is by far the most elegant worship, hardly excepting the Greek mythology. What with incense, pictures, statues, altars, shrines, relics, and the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/it-is-by-far-the-most-elegant-worship-hardly-excepting-the-greek/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [I just always loved mythology, ever since I was a kid. Greek mythology was something I remember learning about in fourth grade, and Egypt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/i-just-always-loved-mythology-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-greek-mythology/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [In Greek mythology, the hero wants to be great, but the very concept does not exist in the Indian vocabulary. Yet it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/in-greek-mythology-the-hero-wants-to-be-great-but-the-very-concept/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) ## More by Barry B. Powell > [“The underlying logic of sacrifice was always the same: In order to gain the god's goodwill, destroy what you value most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-b-powell/the-underlying-logic-of-sacrifice-was-always-the-same-in-order-to/) [Barry B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-b-powell/) > [“As you set out on your journey to Ithaca, pray that your journey be a long one, filled with adventure, filled with discovery. Laestrygonians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-b-powell/as-you-set-out-on-your-journey-to-ithaca-pray-that-your-journey-be-a/) [Barry B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-b-powell/) > [“Tragedy allowed the audience to experience intense, sometimes disturbing emotions that could not be experienced in real life without terrible cost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-b-powell/tragedy-allowed-the-audience-to-experience-intense-sometimes/) [Barry B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-b-powell/) > [“The Greek gods had personalities like those of humans and struggled with one another for position and power. They did not love humans (although…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-b-powell/the-greek-gods-had-personalities-like-those-of-humans-and-struggled/) [Barry B. Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-b-powell/) [Explore all 5 Barry B. Powell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-b-powell/) ## More Greek myth quotes > [In Greek mythology, the hero wants to be great, but the very concept does not exist in the Indian vocabulary. Yet it has become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/in-greek-mythology-the-hero-wants-to-be-great-but-the-very-concept/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [I just always loved mythology, ever since I was a kid. Greek mythology was something I remember learning about in fourth grade, and Egypt,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/i-just-always-loved-mythology-ever-since-i-was-a-kid-greek-mythology/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [It is by far the most elegant worship, hardly excepting the Greek mythology. What with incense, pictures, statues, altars, shrines, relics, and the real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/it-is-by-far-the-most-elegant-worship-hardly-excepting-the-greek/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [You’re like a god from a Greek myth, Saiman. You have no empathy. You have no concept of the world beyond your ego. Wanting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilona-andrews/you-re-like-a-god-from-a-greek-myth-saiman-you-have-no-empathy-you/) [Ilona Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilona-andrews/) > [“The Big Dipper’s also known as The Great Bear? The Greek myth says that Zeus fell in love with a beautiful maiden, Callisto and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-brown/the-big-dipper-s-also-known-as-the-great-bear-the-greek-myth-says/) [Natasha Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-brown/) > [“Let us see how high we can fly before the sun melts the wax in our wings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-see-how-high-we-can-fly-before-the-sun-melts-the-wax-in-our/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [To me, superhero movies are like Greek myth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-jenkins/to-me-superhero-movies-are-like-greek-myth/) [Patty Jenkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-jenkins/) > [According to Greek mythology, humans were originally created with four arms, four legs and a head with two faces. Fearing their power, Zeus split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/according-to-greek-mythology-humans-were-originally-created-with-four/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [“Behind this lies not just impact or drama, but a typically Japanese tendency. The story of Pygmalion, the Greek myth — in which Pygmalion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izima-kaoru/behind-this-lies-not-just-impact-or-drama-but-a-typically-japanese/) Izima Kaoru > [Cacus.” I’d had years of practice looking dumb when people threw out Greek names I didn’t know. It’s a skill of mine. Annabeth keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/cacus-i-d-had-years-of-practice-looking-dumb-when-people-threw-out/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I did have the resource of having taught Greek mythology and the history of Western civilization, and you can go back into the plays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-craven/i-did-have-the-resource-of-having-taught-greek-mythology-and-the/) [Wes Craven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-craven/) > [NFL Films has had one continuous, creative vision for 47 years. These are timeless things; timeless stories that we capture just like people go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-sabol/nfl-films-has-had-one-continuous-creative-vision-for-47-years-these/) [Steve Sabol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-sabol/) > [Greek myths are heroic, noble and tragic; but the American Dream is heroic, comical, and uplifting. Americans are a people in whom overweening ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-wright/greek-myths-are-heroic-noble-and-tragic-but-the-american-dream-is/) [John C. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-wright/) > [My Greek mythology is not strong enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/my-greek-mythology-is-not-strong-enough/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [Creation stories, so central in the religions of the Middle East, play a surprisingly marginal part in Greek myth. The Greeks had nothing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-macgregor/creation-stories-so-central-in-the-religions-of-the-middle-east-play/) [Neil MacGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-macgregor/) [Browse all 54 Greek myth quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-myth/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Carved on the temple [at Delphi] were the exhortations \"Know yourself\" and \"Nothing too much,\" mottoes with a similar meaning: You are only human, so don't try more than you are able (or you will pay the price). A recurring theme in Greek myth is the man or woman who loses sight of human limitations and acts arrogantly and with violence, as if immortal. And pays a terrible price.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barry B. 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