--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally…" description: "\"Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally hurt; and limps off the field, piteous, all disguises thrown away. But pride carries its banner to the last; a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/helen-hunt-jackson-13421_admitting_wounded-vanity-knows-when-it-is-mortally_2427588.jpg" --- # Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally hurt; and limps… ![“Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally hurt; and limps off the field, piteous, all disguises thrown away. But pride carries its banner to the last; and fast as it is driven from one field unfurls it in another, never admitting that there is a shade less honor in the second field than in the…” quote by Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/helen-hunt-jackson-13421_admitting_wounded-vanity-knows-when-it-is-mortally_2427588.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/helen-hunt-jackson-13421_admitting_wounded-vanity-knows-when-it-is-mortally_2427588.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f5e/helen-hunt-jackson-13421_admitting_wounded-vanity-knows-when-it-is-mortally_2427588.jpg) > “Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally hurt; and limps off the field, piteous, all disguises thrown away. But pride carries its banner to the last; and fast as it is driven from one field unfurls it in another, never admitting that there is a shade less honor in the second field than in the first, or in the third than in the second.” [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pride persists despite injury, moving from one arena to another, never acknowledging its diminished honor. **In simple terms:** Pride keeps fighting even when hurt. Key Takeaway Recognize when pride blinds you. Themes pride vanity honor Mood reflective somber Type philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - Career setbacks - social competition - personal failure Key Concepts Human ego self‑deception Questions to Reflect On - When has pride cost you? - Can you admit a loss gracefully? A Different Perspective Pride may prevent learning from loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disguise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disguise/) [Driven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/driven/) [Honor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/honor/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Shade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shade/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) [Wounded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wounded/) ## Related quotes > [Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally hurt; and limps off the field, piteous, all disguises thrown away. But pride carries its banner to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/wounded-vanity-knows-when-it-is-mortally-hurt-and-limps-off-the-field/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [The wisest thing in the world is to cry out before you are hurt. It is no good to cry out after you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-wisest-thing-in-the-world-is-to-cry-out-before-you-are-hurt-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Margie had known many men, most of them guilty, wounded in their vanity, or despairing, so that she had developed a contempt for her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/margie-had-known-many-men-most-of-them-guilty-wounded-in-their-vanity/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“All sensible people know that vanity is the most devastating, the most universal, and the most ineradicable of the passions that afflict the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/all-sensible-people-know-that-vanity-is-the-most-devastating-the-most/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“the black serpant of wounded vanity gnawed at his heart?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/the-black-serpant-of-wounded-vanity-gnawed-at-his-heart/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [Is not wounded vanity the mother of all tragedies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/is-not-wounded-vanity-the-mother-of-all-tragedies/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Wounded vanity can make a woman more vindictive than a lioness robbed of her cubs.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/wounded-vanity-can-make-a-woman-more-vindictive-than-a-lioness-robbed/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“All night, the black serpant of wounded vanity gnawed his heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/all-night-the-black-serpant-of-wounded-vanity-gnawed-his-heart/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/a-nation-can-survive-its-fools-and-even-the-ambitious-but-it-cannot/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [“But pride carries its banner to the last; and fast as it is driven from one field unfurls it in another, never admitting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/but-pride-carries-its-banner-to-the-last-and-fast-as-it-is-driven/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic threat for Bush that when he makes a mistake it's safer just to reinforce it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-severe-psychic-threat-for-bush/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [“Maybe that is what growing up was all about. It was about changing your mind. Opening it right up. Admitting to yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/maybe-that-is-what-growing-up-was-all-about-it-was-about-changing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [“Admitting we're not heroic is when we're the most heroic of all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dorian-scrubs/admitting-we-re-not-heroic-is-when-we-re-the-most-heroic-of-all/) [John Dorian- scrubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dorian-scrubs/) > [“The truth is I do love you. Admitting that means opening myself up to all that pain when you leave. After you realize this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-moran/the-truth-is-i-do-love-you-admitting-that-means-opening-myself-up-to/) [Kelly Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-moran/) > [I think there's a lot of power in admitting that you don't know everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-williamson/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-power-in-admitting-that-you-don-t-know/) [Kit Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-williamson/) ## More by Helen Hunt Jackson > [As soon as I began, it seemed impossible to write fast enough - I wrote faster than I would write a letter - two…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/as-soon-as-i-began-it-seemed-impossible-to-write-fast-enough-i-wrote/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [Ah, March! we know thou art Kind-hearted, spite of ugly looks and threats, And, out of sight, art nursing April's violets!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/ah-march-we-know-thou-art-kind-hearted-spite-of-ugly-looks-and/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [Next time!' In what calendar are kept the records of those next times which never come?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/next-time-in-what-calendar-are-kept-the-records-of-those-next-times/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [Motherhood is priced Of God, at price no man may dare To lessen or misunderstand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/motherhood-is-priced-of-god-at-price-no-man-may-dare-to-lessen-or/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [If I could write a story that would do for the Indian one-hundredth part what 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' did for the Negro, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/if-i-could-write-a-story-that-would-do-for-the-indian-one-hundredth/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [When love is at its best, one loves So much that he cannot forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/when-love-is-at-its-best-one-loves-so-much-that-he-cannot-forget/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [That indescribable expression peculiar to people who hope they have not been asleep, but know they have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/that-indescribable-expression-peculiar-to-people-who-hope-they-have/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [The new is older than the old; And newest friend is oldest friend in this: That, waiting him, we longest grieved to miss One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/the-new-is-older-than-the-old-and-newest-friend-is-oldest-friend-in/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [Most men call fretting a minor fault, a foible, and not a vice. There is no vice except drunkenness which can so utterly destroy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/most-men-call-fretting-a-minor-fault-a-foible-and-not-a-vice-there-is/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [For April sobs while these are so glad April weeps while these are so gay,- Weeps like a tired child who had, Playing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/for-april-sobs-while-these-are-so-glad-april-weeps-while-these-are-so/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [On the king's gate the moss grew gray; The king came not. They call'd him dead; And made his eldest son, one day, Slave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/on-the-king-s-gate-the-moss-grew-gray-the-king-came-not-they-call-d/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [O bees, sweet bees!" I said; "that nearest field Is shining white with fragrant immortelles Fly swiftly there and drain those honey wells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/o-bees-sweet-bees-i-said-that-nearest-field-is-shining-white-with/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [The wild mustard in Southern California is like that spoken of in the New Testament. . . . Its gold is as distinct a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/the-wild-mustard-in-southern-california-is-like-that-spoken-of-in-the/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [“But pride carries its banner to the last; and fast as it is driven from one field unfurls it in another, never admitting that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/but-pride-carries-its-banner-to-the-last-and-fast-as-it-is-driven/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) > [There is nothing so skillful in its own defense as imperious pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hunt-jackson/there-is-nothing-so-skillful-in-its-own-defense-as-imperious-pride/) [Helen Hunt Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) [Explore all 50 Helen Hunt Jackson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hunt-jackson/) ## More Admitting quotes > [I think there's a lot of power in admitting that you don't know everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-williamson/i-think-there-s-a-lot-of-power-in-admitting-that-you-don-t-know/) [Kit Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-williamson/) > [“The truth is I do love you. Admitting that means opening myself up to all that pain when you leave. After you realize this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-moran/the-truth-is-i-do-love-you-admitting-that-means-opening-myself-up-to/) [Kelly Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-moran/) > [“Admitting we're not heroic is when we're the most heroic of all”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dorian-scrubs/admitting-we-re-not-heroic-is-when-we-re-the-most-heroic-of-all/) [John Dorian- scrubs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dorian-scrubs/) > [“Maybe that is what growing up was all about. It was about changing your mind. Opening it right up. Admitting to yourself that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/maybe-that-is-what-growing-up-was-all-about-it-was-about-changing/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [Admitting weakness seems to be such a severe psychic threat for Bush that when he makes a mistake it's safer just to reinforce it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-brown/admitting-weakness-seems-to-be-such-a-severe-psychic-threat-for-bush/) [Tina Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-brown/) > [Another person is, at the heart of it, unknowable. And if you cannot know a person enough to always guess what they’re capable of,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deb-caletti/another-person-is-at-the-heart-of-it-unknowable-and-if-you-cannot/) [Deb Caletti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deb-caletti/) > [The first step is always admitting you have a problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-first-step-is-always-admitting-you-have-a-problem/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only tough thing is admitting to my wife how much a certain article of clothing costs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taye-diggs/the-only-tough-thing-is-admitting-to-my-wife-how-much-a-certain/) [Taye Diggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taye-diggs/) > [There is a difference between admitting and confessing. Admitting involves softening, making excuses for things that cannot be excused; confessing just names the crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/there-is-a-difference-between-admitting-and-confessing-admitting/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) > [Nobody likes me!" "I wish I could like you, Charlie Brown, but I can't... If I were to like you, it would be admitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-m-schulz/nobody-likes-me-i-wish-i-could-like-you-charlie-brown-but-i-can-t-if/) [Charles M. Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-m-schulz/) > [how can he love me then not? He went,he ran. And I cannot bring him back. Yet I left the door metaphorically wide open,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freya-north/how-can-he-love-me-then-not-he-went-he-ran-and-i-cannot-bring-him/) [Freya North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freya-north/) > [First and foremost, be faithful to your superiors, keep all promises, refuse the friendship of all who are not like you; and if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/first-and-foremost-be-faithful-to-your-superiors-keep-all-promises/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Oust me if you want, but if I stepped down, I would be admitting guilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-temer/oust-me-if-you-want-but-if-i-stepped-down-i-would-be-admitting-guilt/) [Michel Temer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-temer/) > [I think that lawyers are terrible at admitting that they're wrong. And not just admitting it; also realizing it. Most lawyers are very successful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-dershowitz/i-think-that-lawyers-are-terrible-at-admitting-that-they-re-wrong-and/) [Alan Dershowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-dershowitz/) > [Courageous? Courageous would have been admitting weakness and leaving Dauntless, no matter what shame accompanied it. Pride is what killed Al, and it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/courageous-courageous-would-have-been-admitting-weakness-and-leaving/) [Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/) Browse all 302 Admitting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Wounded vanity knows when it is mortally hurt; and limps off the field, piteous, all disguises thrown away. 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