--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When a man is proud because he can…" description: "\"When a man is proud because he can understand and explain the writings of Chrysippus, say to yourself, 'if Chrysippus had not written obscurely, this m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/epictetus-413_be-proud_when-a-man-is-proud-because-he-can-under_1780035.jpg" --- # When a man is proud because he can understand and explain… ![“When a man is proud because he can understand and explain the writings of Chrysippus, say to yourself, 'if Chrysippus had not written obscurely, this man would have had nothing to be proud of.'” quote by Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/epictetus-413_be-proud_when-a-man-is-proud-because-he-can-under_1780035.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/epictetus-413_be-proud_when-a-man-is-proud-because-he-can-under_1780035.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/260/epictetus-413_be-proud_when-a-man-is-proud-because-he-can-under_1780035.jpg) > “When a man is proud because he can understand and explain the writings of Chrysippus, say to yourself, 'if Chrysippus had not written obscurely, this man would have had nothing to be proud of.'” [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He warns against pride in intellectual mastery that depends on obscure sources; true wisdom is humble. **In simple terms:** Don’t be proud of understanding obscure ideas; humility matters. Key Takeaway Seek humility over intellectual vanity. Themes philosophy humility pride Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic debates - personal study - teaching - public discourse Key Concepts Stoicism epistemic humility intellectual arrogance Questions to Reflect On - Do you value clarity over complexity? - How does humility affect learning? A Different Perspective Obscurity may be intentional, not a flaw. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-proud/) [Chrysippus Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chrysippus-written-1854590/) [Man Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/man-proud-384161/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Proud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud/) [Proud Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proud-understand-1854592/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writings Chrysippus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writings-chrysippus-1854591/) ## Related quotes > [Just be yourself man, be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eminem/just-be-yourself-man-be-proud-of-who-you-are/) [Eminem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eminem/) > [Does a man reproach thee for being proud or ill-natured, envious or conceited, ignorant or detracting? Consider with thyself whether his reproaches are true.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/does-a-man-reproach-thee-for-being-proud-or-ill-natured-envious-or/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Of what shall a man be proud, if he is not proud of his friends?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/of-what-shall-a-man-be-proud-if-he-is-not-proud-of-his-friends/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [I work for the suffering of the common man, something I am very proud of and will continue to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdul-sattar-edhi/i-work-for-the-suffering-of-the-common-man-something-i-am-very-proud/) [Abdul Sattar Edhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdul-sattar-edhi/) > [When you are a rich man you are proud to own a Rolls Royce and when you are a poor man you are proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-cantona/when-you-are-a-rich-man-you-are-proud-to-own-a-rolls-royce-and-when/) [Eric Cantona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-cantona/) > [I'm not a very religious man, but I'm proud to be a Jew.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irving-paul-lazar/i-m-not-a-very-religious-man-but-i-m-proud-to-be-a-jew/) [Irving Paul Lazar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irving-paul-lazar/) > [Every man is proud of what he does well; and no man is proud of what he does not do well. With the former,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/every-man-is-proud-of-what-he-does-well-and-no-man-is-proud-of-what/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [To have to die is a distinction of which no man is proud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-smith/to-have-to-die-is-a-distinction-of-which-no-man-is-proud/) [Alexander Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-smith/) > [There is such a thing as a man being too proud to fight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/there-is-such-a-thing-as-a-man-being-too-proud-to-fight/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/i-like-to-see-a-man-proud-of-the-place-in-which-he-lives-i-like-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [You are so proud of your intelligence," said the master. "You are like a like a condemned man, proud of the vastness of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-de-mello/you-are-so-proud-of-your-intelligence-said-the-master-you-are-like-a/) [Anthony de Mello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-de-mello/) > [Behind every successful man is a proud wife and a surprised mother-in-law.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/behind-every-successful-man-is-a-proud-wife-and-a-surprised-mother-in/) [Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“If a man is proud of you in public, he will always be proud of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/if-a-man-is-proud-of-you-in-public-he-will-always-be-proud-of-you/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [A man is never so proud as when striking an attitude of humility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-is-never-so-proud-as-when-striking-an-attitude-of-humility/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The intelligent man who is proud of his intelligence is like the condemned man who is proud of his large cell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/the-intelligent-man-who-is-proud-of-his-intelligence-is-like-the/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) ## More by Epictetus > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Practice yourself, for heaven's sake in little things, and then proceed to greater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/practice-yourself-for-heaven-s-sake-in-little-things-and-then-proceed/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Do not laugh much or often or unrestrainedly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/do-not-laugh-much-or-often-or-unrestrainedly/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [When men are unhappy, they do not imagine they can ever cease to be so; and when some calamity has fallen on them, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/when-men-are-unhappy-they-do-not-imagine-they-can-ever-cease-to-be-so/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [We are not disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-not-disturbed-by-what-happens-to-us-but-by-our-thoughts-about/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Don't be prideful with any excellence that is not your own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/don-t-be-prideful-with-any-excellence-that-is-not-your-own/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [You know yourself what you are worth in your own eyes; and at what price you will sell yourself. 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Wish to be considered to know nothing; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/if-you-would-improve-submit-to-be-considered-wihout-sense-and-foolish/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“For it is not death or pain that is to be feared, but the fear of pain or death.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/for-it-is-not-death-or-pain-that-is-to-be-feared-but-the-fear-of-pain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [What else can I do, a lame old man, but sing hymns to God? If I were a nightingale, I would do the nightingale's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/what-else-can-i-do-a-lame-old-man-but-sing-hymns-to-god-if-i-were-a/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People are disturbed not by things, but by the view they take of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/people-are-disturbed-not-by-things-but-by-the-view-they-take-of-them-2/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Small-minded people blame others. Average people blame themselves. The wise see all blame as foolishness”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/small-minded-people-blame-others-average-people-blame-themselves-the/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [All philosophy lies in two words, sustain and abstain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/all-philosophy-lies-in-two-words-sustain-and-abstain/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) [Explore all 577 Epictetus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## More Be proud quotes > [At the end of night, before you close your eyes, be content with what you've done and be proud of who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-almond/at-the-end-of-night-before-you-close-your-eyes-be-content-with-what/) [Steve Almond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-almond/) > [Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/your-aunt-and-uncle-will-be-proud-though-won-t-they-said-hermione-as/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Do not be proud of your inconsistency. It is a pity, it is a pity that we should be equipped like this. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/do-not-be-proud-of-your-inconsistency-it-is-a-pity-it-is-a-pity-that/) [E. M. Forster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-m-forster/) > [You just have to keep trying to do good work, and hope that it leads to more good work. I want to look back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/you-just-have-to-keep-trying-to-do-good-work-and-hope-that-it-leads/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [All of my decisions I made when I was a kid were decisions, would my mother and father be proud of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-venturi/all-of-my-decisions-i-made-when-i-was-a-kid-were-decisions-would-my/) [Ken Venturi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-venturi/) > [We had pathetically simple dreams: to do meaningful work that we could be proud of, to be together, and to be happy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiffanie-debartolo/we-had-pathetically-simple-dreams-to-do-meaningful-work-that-we-could/) [Tiffanie DeBartolo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiffanie-debartolo/) > [the Republicans love to say that the Democratic Party is ruled by 'special interests.' But when pressed to name these 'special interests,' the usual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geraldine-ferraro/the-republicans-love-to-say-that-the-democratic-party-is-ruled-by/) [Geraldine Ferraro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geraldine-ferraro/) > [You should never be proud of doing the right thing. You should just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-smith/you-should-never-be-proud-of-doing-the-right-thing-you-should-just-do/) [Dean Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-smith/) > [I hate pride, but if I were going to be proud of anything it would have to be something I'd done myself. Race pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carroll-o-connor/i-hate-pride-but-if-i-were-going-to-be-proud-of-anything-it-would/) [Carroll O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carroll-o-connor/) > [What I have most learned from my son is to respect him and to love him unconditionally. I believe that if parents respect their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/what-i-have-most-learned-from-my-son-is-to-respect-him-and-to-love/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [I was a breed of people who aren't capable of doing anything, really. 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