--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We'd like to be humble...but what if no…" description: "\"We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?\" — John Ortberg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/john-ortberg-932_be-humble_we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-on_1605976.png" --- # We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices? ![“We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?” quote by John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/john-ortberg-932_be-humble_we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-on_1605976.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/john-ortberg-932_be-humble_we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-on_1605976.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/john-ortberg-932_be-humble_we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-on_1605976.png) > “We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?” [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humility seeks recognition, yet true humility is indifferent to others’ notice. **In simple terms:** Being humble doesn’t need applause. Key Takeaway Practice humility for its own sake. Themes humility recognition self‑worth spirituality authenticity Mood thoughtful serene inspirational Type spiritual ethical When to use this quote - volunteering - quiet leadership - personal reflection - private worship Key Concepts inner motivation self‑concept faith practice Questions to Reflect On - How do you measure humility? - What actions reflect humility without applause? A Different Perspective Society often rewards visible humility, not quiet virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-humble/) [Christian inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-inspirational/) [Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble/) [Humble Notices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humble-notices-2192770/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like/) [Like Humble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-humble-715629/) [Notices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/notices/) [What if](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/what-if/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes it's hard being humble when nobody notices it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-coleman/sometimes-it-s-hard-being-humble-when-nobody-notices-it/) [Damian Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-coleman/) > [I like being humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-m-a/i-like-being-humble/) [Young M.A](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-m-a/) > [I feel like I'm very humble and always watch what I say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-stephens/i-feel-like-i-m-very-humble-and-always-watch-what-i-say/) [Jeremy Stephens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-stephens/) > [Just being a girl coming from YouTube, I know what it's like to have a very humble, simple beginning. It would be kinda crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-grimmie/just-being-a-girl-coming-from-youtube-i-know-what-it-s-like-to-have-a/) [Christina Grimmie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-grimmie/) > [People who are looked up to in America will often say, 'I don't get math.' And they'll often say it like they're being humble,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/people-who-are-looked-up-to-in-america-will-often-say-i-don-t-get/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [I just like country because a lot of those guys are from towns that I'm maybe from, for one. But also, I like how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-butler/i-just-like-country-because-a-lot-of-those-guys-are-from-towns-that-i/) [Jimmy Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-butler/) > [I like a humble guy, who knows respect and how to treat a woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-like-a-humble-guy-who-knows-respect-and-how-to-treat-a-woman/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Weak men like humble women, especially great women who make them feel as inferior.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/weak-men-like-humble-women-especially-great-women-who-make-them-feel/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [I love Ava DuVernay. It would be cool if I got to work with her one day. She seems like a humble person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/skai-jackson/i-love-ava-duvernay-it-would-be-cool-if-i-got-to-work-with-her-one/) [Skai Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/skai-jackson/) > [“Sometimes in life, it has to be enough to be proud of yourself, even if no one else notices.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-bannatyne/sometimes-in-life-it-has-to-be-enough-to-be-proud-of-yourself-even-if/) [Duncan Bannatyne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-bannatyne/) > [Nobody notices when things go right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-zimmerman/nobody-notices-when-things-go-right/) [George Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-zimmerman/) > [“The first thing everyone notices is the dog.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-carlos-montalv-n/the-first-thing-everyone-notices-is-the-dog/) [Luis Carlos Montalván](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-carlos-montalv-n/) > [We get 150 notices a week for seminars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-ferguson/we-get-150-notices-a-week-for-seminars/) [Marilyn Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-ferguson/) > [The first thing one notices about Jill Abramson is her short stature. The second is her intensity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/the-first-thing-one-notices-about-jill-abramson-is-her-short-stature/) [Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/) > [What a man notices first about a woman is whether she notices him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlene-dietrich/what-a-man-notices-first-about-a-woman-is-whether-she-notices-him/) [Marlene Dietrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlene-dietrich/) ## More by John Ortberg > [“What do we do in the dark night? We do nothing. We wait. We remember that we are not God. We hold on. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/what-do-we-do-in-the-dark-night-we-do-nothing-we-wait-we-remember/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [If we are serious about loving God, we must begin with people, all people. And especially we must learn to love those that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/if-we-are-serious-about-loving-god-we-must-begin-with-people-all/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [True repentance never leads to despair. Its leads home. It leads to grace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/true-repentance-never-leads-to-despair-its-leads-home-it-leads-to/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The greatest bloodbaths in the history of the human race were recorded in the twentieth century in countries that sought to eliminate God, worship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-greatest-bloodbaths-in-the-history-of-the-human-race-were/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [There is no way for a human being to come to God that does not involve surrender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/there-is-no-way-for-a-human-being-to-come-to-god-that-does-not/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Will you keep going when you don't know why? When you can't get any answers that would make the pain go away, will you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/will-you-keep-going-when-you-don-t-know-why-when-you-can-t-get-any/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Death is the prerequisite to resurrection, the new life God intends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/death-is-the-prerequisite-to-resurrection-the-new-life-god-intends/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [From ancient times, the core idea of the soul is the soul is the capacity to integrate different functions into a single being or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/from-ancient-times-the-core-idea-of-the-soul-is-the-soul-is-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/hurry-is-the-great-enemy-of-spiritual-life-in-our-day-you-must/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [In reality, each thought we have carries with it a little spiritual power, a tug toward or away from God. No thought is purely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/in-reality-each-thought-we-have-carries-with-it-a-little-spiritual/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [The miracle of Sunday is that a dead man lives. The miracle of Saturday is that the eternal Son of God lies dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-miracle-of-sunday-is-that-a-dead-man-lives-the-miracle-of/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [“The most important thing about you,” Dallas would often say, “is not the things that you achieve; it is the person that you become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/the-most-important-thing-about-you-dallas-would-often-say-is-not-the/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [Jesus had a universal concern for those who suffered that transcended the rules of the ancient world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/jesus-had-a-universal-concern-for-those-who-suffered-that-transcended/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [God is a God of endless opportunities to do good; the God of the open door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/god-is-a-god-of-endless-opportunities-to-do-good-the-god-of-the-open/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) > [One of the most painful aspects of suffering is the loneliness of it. Others may offer support or empathy, but no one can walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/one-of-the-most-painful-aspects-of-suffering-is-the-loneliness-of-it/) [John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) [Explore all 325 John Ortberg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/) ## More Be humble quotes > [To seek yourself in this world is to be lost; and to be humble is to be exalted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/to-seek-yourself-in-this-world-is-to-be-lost-and-to-be-humble-is-to/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [Well I think they broke the mould when they made me and being humble is one of my great assets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-hagman/well-i-think-they-broke-the-mould-when-they-made-me-and-being-humble/) [Larry Hagman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-hagman/) > [Remember this-all the sighing, mourning, sobbing, and complaining in the world, does not so undeniably evidence a man to be humble, as his overlooking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-brooks/remember-this-all-the-sighing-mourning-sobbing-and-complaining-in-the/) [Thomas Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-brooks/) > [ Be humble and say okay, all right, I have to prep myself. So everybody prepped, and we finished the film \[Valerian \] four days… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-besson/be-humble-and-say-okay-all-right-i-have-to-prep-myself-so-everybody/) [Luc Besson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-besson/) > [Catch {a man} at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, "By jove, I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/catch-a-man-at-the-moment-when-he-is-really-poor-in-spirit-and/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [Humility does not mean weakness. It does not mean timidity. It does not mean fear. A man can be humble and fearless. A man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/humility-does-not-mean-weakness-it-does-not-mean-timidity-it-does-not/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Always enter like a kitten and leave like a lion. But NEVER enter like a lion and leave like a kitten. Always be humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlson-gracie/always-enter-like-a-kitten-and-leave-like-a-lion-but-never-enter-like/) [Carlson Gracie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlson-gracie/) > [There is no substitute for hardwork. Always be humble and hungry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/there-is-no-substitute-for-hardwork-always-be-humble-and-hungry/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [You've got to be humble really to be yourself or to get a chance to be yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-harrison/you-ve-got-to-be-humble-really-to-be-yourself-or-to-get-a-chance-to/) [George Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-harrison/) > [Learning something means coming into contact with a world of which you know nothing. In order to learn, you must be humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/learning-something-means-coming-into-contact-with-a-world-of-which/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Create your own job. Become the master of what you do. Fully imerse yourself in your culter. Be humble. You are never above having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophia-amoruso/create-your-own-job-become-the-master-of-what-you-do-fully-imerse/) [Sophia Amoruso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophia-amoruso/) > [It's very easy for us to be humble when no one else is around. There is no reason for us to demonstrate our superiority,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/it-s-very-easy-for-us-to-be-humble-when-no-one-else-is-around-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I'm totally normal. I think it's obnoxious when people demand limos or bodyguards. I eat at McDonald's or Taco Bell. My parents always taught…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paris-hilton/i-m-totally-normal-i-think-it-s-obnoxious-when-people-demand-limos-or/) [Paris Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paris-hilton/) > [You have to know when to be arrogant. You have to when to be humble. You have to know when to be hard and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/talib-kweli/you-have-to-know-when-to-be-arrogant-you-have-to-when-to-be-humble/) [Talib Kweli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/talib-kweli/) > [I know that a Christian should be humble, but against the Pope I am going to be proud and say to him: "You, Pope,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/i-know-that-a-christian-should-be-humble-but-against-the-pope-i-am/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) [Browse all 243 Be humble quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-humble/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ortberg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-one-notices/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be humble" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-one-notices/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/john-ortberg-932_be-humble_we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-on_1605976.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/john-ortberg-932_be-humble_we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-on_1605976.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/da0/john-ortberg-932_be-humble_we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-on_1605976.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We'd like to be humble...but what if no one notices?” — John Ortberg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Ortberg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We'd like to be humble...but what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-one-notices/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/we-d-like-to-be-humble-but-what-if-no-one-notices/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```