--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Do you think yourself wise? Then there's…" description: "\"Do you think yourself wise? Then there's a donkey inside your waistcoat\" — Charles H Spurgeon" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/charles-h-spurgeon-2-41656_wisdom_do-you-think-yourself-wise-then-there-s_1737877.jpg" --- # Do you think yourself wise? Then there's a donkey inside… ![“Do you think yourself wise? Then there's a donkey inside your waistcoat” quote by Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/charles-h-spurgeon-2-41656_wisdom_do-you-think-yourself-wise-then-there-s_1737877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/charles-h-spurgeon-2-41656_wisdom_do-you-think-yourself-wise-then-there-s_1737877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb2/charles-h-spurgeon-2-41656_wisdom_do-you-think-yourself-wise-then-there-s_1737877.jpg) > “Do you think yourself wise? Then there's a donkey inside your waistcoat” [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑awareness reveals hidden folly; humility is needed to see one's own absurdities. **In simple terms:** Know yourself. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility. Themes self‑knowledge humility wisdom Mood introspective humorous Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - personal reflection - counseling - leadership training Key Concepts psychology spiritual growth Questions to Reflect On - What “donkey” might you be ignoring? - How can humility improve decisions? A Different Perspective People often resist self‑critique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) ## Related quotes > [There are men who think themselves too wise to be religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-richardson/there-are-men-who-think-themselves-too-wise-to-be-religious/) [Samuel Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-richardson/) > [“I think I'd like to find a middle ground for myself. To find that place between what I want and what I think is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/i-think-i-d-like-to-find-a-middle-ground-for-myself-to-find-that/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/risk-more-than-others-think-is-safe-care-more-than-others-think-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Dream more than others think practical. Expect more than others think possible. Care more than others think wise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/dream-more-than-others-think-practical-expect-more-than-others-think/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Think as wise men do, but speak as the common people do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/think-as-wise-men-do-but-speak-as-the-common-people-do/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I am blind and limited. I would be a fool think myself wise. And so, not knowing what the universe means, I can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/i-am-blind-and-limited-i-would-be-a-fool-think-myself-wise-and-so-not/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [Don't you think it's sometimes wise not to grow up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jagger/don-t-you-think-it-s-sometimes-wise-not-to-grow-up/) [Mick Jagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jagger/) > [“...today people use as many words as they can and think themselves very wise for doing so. For always remember that while it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norton-juster/today-people-use-as-many-words-as-they-can-and-think-themselves-very/) [Norton Juster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norton-juster/) > [Only fools think they're wise; the rest of us just muddle through as we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/only-fools-think-they-re-wise-the-rest-of-us-just-muddle-through-as/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [He that will write well in any tongue must follow this counsel of Aristotle: to speak as the common people do, to think as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/he-that-will-write-well-in-any-tongue-must-follow-this-counsel-of-2/) [Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/) > [The fool don't think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-fool-don-t-think-he-is-wise-but-the-wise-man-knows-himself-to-be/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [To speak as the common people do, to think as wise men do is style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ascham/to-speak-as-the-common-people-do-to-think-as-wise-men-do-is-style/) [Roger Ascham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ascham/) > [Who can think wise or stupid things at all that were not thought already in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/who-can-think-wise-or-stupid-things-at-all-that-were-not-thought/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-trouble-was-if-you-were-a-chief-you-had-to-think-you-had-to-be/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The fool doesn't think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/the-fool-doesn-t-think-he-is-wise-but-the-wise-man-knows-himself-to/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) ## More by Charles H Spurgeon > [He that deserves nothing should be content with anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/he-that-deserves-nothing-should-be-content-with-anything/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [Economy is half the battle of life. It is not so hard to earn money as to spend it well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/economy-is-half-the-battle-of-life-it-is-not-so-hard-to-earn-money-as/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [A lie travels round the world, while Truth is putting on her boots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/a-lie-travels-round-the-world-while-truth-is-putting-on-her-boots/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [The greatest works are done by the ones. The hundreds do not often do much, the companies never; it is the units, the single…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/the-greatest-works-are-done-by-the-ones-the-hundreds-do-not-often-do-2/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [“The wide awake man seizes opportunities or makes them, and thus those who are widest awake usually come to the front.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/the-wide-awake-man-seizes-opportunities-or-makes-them-and-thus-those/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [“A whetstone, though it cannot cut, may sharpen a knife that will.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/a-whetstone-though-it-cannot-cut-may-sharpen-a-knife-that-will/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [The greatest and most momentous fact which the history of the world records is the fact of Christs birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/the-greatest-and-most-momentous-fact-which-the-history-of-the-world-2/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [Show me the business man or institution not guided by sentiment and service; by the idea that he profits most who serves best and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/show-me-the-business-man-or-institution-not-guided-by-sentiment-and/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) > [If...you feel that if you could indulge in sin without punishment, yet it would be a punishment of itself; and that if you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-h-spurgeon-2/if-you-feel-that-if-you-could-indulge-in-sin-without-punishment-yet/) [Charles H Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) [Explore all 10 Charles H Spurgeon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-h-spurgeon-2/) ## More Donkey quotes > [“There was once an old but clever donkey, who never liked the sting of any bee, Nor for all the Slung mud, did he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyavrat-thareja/there-was-once-an-old-but-clever-donkey-who-never-liked-the-sting-of/) [Priyavrat Thareja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyavrat-thareja/) > [No lusting after your neighbor's house - or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don't set your heart on anything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moses/no-lusting-after-your-neighbor-s-house-or-wife-or-servant-or-maid-or/) [Moses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moses/) > [Give me the enchilada with the pickle sauce shoved up between the donkey's ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-zappa/give-me-the-enchilada-with-the-pickle-sauce-shoved-up-between-the/) [Frank Zappa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-zappa/) > [Left to their own devices, men would wear trainers with a pair of stonewashed jeans and would think nothing of throwing on a donkey…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-winkleman/left-to-their-own-devices-men-would-wear-trainers-with-a-pair-of/) [Claudia Winkleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-winkleman/) > [“An uncomfortable marriage can not bear the strain of the death of a beloved donkey.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merrie-haskell/an-uncomfortable-marriage-can-not-bear-the-strain-of-the-death-of-a/) [Merrie Haskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merrie-haskell/) > [Poetry is a dumb Buddha who thinks a donkey is as important as a diamond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/poetry-is-a-dumb-buddha-who-thinks-a-donkey-is-as-important-as-a/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [The whole new Democratic Party is the old Republican Party. We have a whole bunch of elephants running around in donkey's clothes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-novak/the-whole-new-democratic-party-is-the-old-republican-party-we-have-a/) [Robert Novak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-novak/) > [“as a copy she was not a very good copy. There were differences. She was not one of His best efforts. There is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-morgan/as-a-copy-she-was-not-a-very-good-copy-there-were-differences-she-was/) [Elaine Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-morgan/) > [A donkey a day keeps the tubesocks at bay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-schober/a-donkey-a-day-keeps-the-tubesocks-at-bay/) Greg Schober > [If a woman's got nothing but her fair fame to feed on, why, it's thin tack, and a donkey would die of it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/if-a-woman-s-got-nothing-but-her-fair-fame-to-feed-on-why-it-s-thin/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [Donkeys live a long time. None of you has ever seen a dead donkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/donkeys-live-a-long-time-none-of-you-has-ever-seen-a-dead-donkey/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Maybe your life resembles a Bethlehem stable. Crude in some spots, smelly in others. Not much glamour. Not always neat. People in your circle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/maybe-your-life-resembles-a-bethlehem-stable-crude-in-some-spots/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [I do believe the Democratic party has moved far to the right. I do believe that the party has a bunch of elephants running…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-sharpton/i-do-believe-the-democratic-party-has-moved-far-to-the-right-i-do/) [Al Sharpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-sharpton/) > [In the Bible, God uses brothel owners, pagan kings, murderers and mercenaries as instruments of good; at one point God even speaks to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-claiborne/in-the-bible-god-uses-brothel-owners-pagan-kings-murderers-and/) [Shane Claiborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-claiborne/) > [From my first years, my favourite animal was always the donkey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kai-havertz/from-my-first-years-my-favourite-animal-was-always-the-donkey/) [Kai Havertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kai-havertz/) Browse all 262 Donkey quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Do you think yourself wise? 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