--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It may easily come to pass that a vain…" description: "\"It may easily come to pass that a vain man may become proud and imagine himself pleasing to all when he is in reality a universal nuisance.\" — Baruch S..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/baruch-spinoza-1338_imagine_it-may-easily-come-to-pass-that-a-vain-m_143885.jpg" --- # It may easily come to pass that a vain man may become… ![“It may easily come to pass that a vain man may become proud and imagine himself pleasing to all when he is in reality a universal nuisance.” quote by Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/baruch-spinoza-1338_imagine_it-may-easily-come-to-pass-that-a-vain-m_143885.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/baruch-spinoza-1338_imagine_it-may-easily-come-to-pass-that-a-vain-m_143885.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a1b/baruch-spinoza-1338_imagine_it-may-easily-come-to-pass-that-a-vain-m_143885.jpg) > “It may easily come to pass that a vain man may become proud and imagine himself pleasing to all when he is in reality a universal nuisance.” [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A vain person may mistakenly think they please everyone, yet they are actually a nuisance to all. **In simple terms:** Vanity blinds self‑perception, causing nuisance. Key Takeaway Check ego against reality and seek humility. Themes vanity self‑deception social impact Mood critical reflective Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - leadership - public speaking - social media - team projects Key Concepts humility self‑awareness ethical behavior Questions to Reflect On - What evidence shows your impact on others? - How can humility improve your relationships? A Different Perspective May overlook genuine contributions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Nuisance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nuisance/) [Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) ## Related quotes > [Vanity is apt to inspire contempt, but that becomes immediately tempered by a gentler and more gracious feeling; for the vain man desires to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-alfred-lynch/vanity-is-apt-to-inspire-contempt-but-that-becomes-immediately/) [Arthur Alfred Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-alfred-lynch/) > [“Women may be vain, but when a man is vain, it is beyond believing, for a man is willing to die for his vanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag-the-volcano-lover/women-may-be-vain-but-when-a-man-is-vain-it-is-beyond-believing-for-a/) Susan Sontag The Volcano Lover > [A vain man can never be utterly ruthless: he wants to win applause and therefore he accommodates himself to others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/a-vain-man-can-never-be-utterly-ruthless-he-wants-to-win-applause-and/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The vain man makes a merit of misfortune, and triumphs in his disgrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-vain-man-makes-a-merit-of-misfortune-and-triumphs-in-his-disgrace/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [A vain man can never be altogether rude. Desirous as he is of pleasing, he fashions his manners after those of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/a-vain-man-can-never-be-altogether-rude-desirous-as-he-is-of-pleasing/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [A vain man is a nauseous creature: he is so full of himself that he has no room for anything else, be it never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/a-vain-man-is-a-nauseous-creature-he-is-so-full-of-himself-that-he/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [“There is nothing more disgraceful than a vain man." "Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devin-madson/there-is-nothing-more-disgraceful-than-a-vain-man-better-a-diamond/) Devin Madson > [A vain man finds it wise to speak good or ill of himself; a modest man does not talk of himself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/a-vain-man-finds-it-wise-to-speak-good-or-ill-of-himself-a-modest-man/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) > [Never expect justice from a vain man; if he has the negative magnanimity not to disparage you, it is the most you can expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-allston/never-expect-justice-from-a-vain-man-if-he-has-the-negative/) [Washington Allston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-allston/) > [Every present occasion will catch the senses of the vain man; and with that bridle and saddle you may ride him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-sidney/every-present-occasion-will-catch-the-senses-of-the-vain-man-and-with/) [Philip Sidney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-sidney/) > [To be a man's own fool is bad enough, but the vain man is everybody's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/to-be-a-man-s-own-fool-is-bad-enough-but-the-vain-man-is-everybody-s/) [William Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-penn/) > [A cockle-fish may as soon crowd the ocean into its narrow shell, as vain man ever comprehend the decrees of God!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-beveridge/a-cockle-fish-may-as-soon-crowd-the-ocean-into-its-narrow-shell-as/) [William Beveridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-beveridge/) > [“There’s nothing more unattractive than a vain man,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherman-alexie/there-s-nothing-more-unattractive-than-a-vain-man/) [Sherman Alexie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherman-alexie/) > [“There is no one to blame but me— me and my stupidity— for believing in a vain man like you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-dabish/there-is-no-one-to-blame-but-me-me-and-my-stupidity-for-believing-in/) Josie Dabish > [No wonder, Sir, that he is vain; a man who is perpetually flattered in every mode that can be conceived. So many bellows have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/no-wonder-sir-that-he-is-vain-a-man-who-is-perpetually-flattered-in/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) ## More by Baruch Spinoza > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [. . . to know the order of nature, and regard the universe as orderly is the highest function of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/to-know-the-order-of-nature-and-regard-the-universe-as-orderly-is-the/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [If anyone conceives that he is loved by another, and believes that he has given no cause for such love, he will love that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/if-anyone-conceives-that-he-is-loved-by-another-and-believes-that-he/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [The world would be happier if men had the same capacity to be silent that they have to speak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-world-would-be-happier-if-men-had-the-same-capacity-to-be-silent/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“So they will pursue their questions from cause to cause, till at last you take refuge in the will of God—in other words, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/so-they-will-pursue-their-questions-from-cause-to-cause-till-at-last/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [As men's habits of mind differ, so that some more readily embrace one form of faith, some another, for what moves one to pray…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/as-men-s-habits-of-mind-differ-so-that-some-more-readily-embrace-one/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [If a man had begun to hate an object of his love, so that love is thoroughly destroyed, he will, causes being equal, regard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/if-a-man-had-begun-to-hate-an-object-of-his-love-so-that-love-is/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [I make this chief distinction between religion and superstition, that the latter is founded on ignorance, the former on knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/i-make-this-chief-distinction-between-religion-and-superstition-that/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [One and the same thing can at the same time be good, bad, and indifferent, e.g., music is good to the melancholy, bad to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/one-and-the-same-thing-can-at-the-same-time-be-good-bad-and/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [A good thing which prevents us from enjoying a greater good is in truth an evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/a-good-thing-which-prevents-us-from-enjoying-a-greater-good-is-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [But if men would give heed to the nature of substance they would doubt less concerning the Proposition that Existence appertains to the nature…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/but-if-men-would-give-heed-to-the-nature-of-substance-they-would/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [The more intelligible a thing is, the more easily it is retained in the memory, and counterwise, the less intelligible it is, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/the-more-intelligible-a-thing-is-the-more-easily-it-is-retained-in/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [In the state of nature, wrong-doing is impossible; or, if anyone does wrong, it is to himself, not to another. For no one by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/in-the-state-of-nature-wrong-doing-is-impossible-or-if-anyone-does/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [For peace is not mere absence of war, but is a virtue that springs from force of character: for obedience is the constant will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/for-peace-is-not-mere-absence-of-war-but-is-a-virtue-that-springs/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/peace-is-not-an-absence-of-war-it-is-a-virtue-a-state-of-mind-a/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) [Explore all 248 Baruch Spinoza quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) ## More Imagine quotes > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. 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