--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Conceit may puff a man up, but never prop…" description: "\"Conceit may puff a man up, but never prop him up.\" — John Ruskin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-ruskin-314_conceit_conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop_2951564.jpg" --- # Conceit may puff a man up, but never prop him up. ![“Conceit may puff a man up, but never prop him up.” quote by John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-ruskin-314_conceit_conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop_2951564.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-ruskin-314_conceit_conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop_2951564.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-ruskin-314_conceit_conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop_2951564.jpg) > “Conceit may puff a man up, but never prop him up.” [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pride inflates ego but cannot sustain success; true support comes from substance, not vanity. **In simple terms:** Pride lifts but doesn't hold up. Key Takeaway Seek genuine foundations over empty ego. Themes pride ego authenticity Mood reflective cautious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - personal relationships - leadership - public speaking Key Concepts self‑esteem sustainability Questions to Reflect On - How does humility protect long‑term success? - What supports can replace false pride? A Different Perspective Overreliance on self‑image can lead to collapse. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Conceit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceit/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Vanity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vanity/) ## Related quotes > [When they saw me walking down the street smoking a cigar, they'd say, 'Hey, that 14-year-old kid may be going places.' Of course it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/when-they-saw-me-walking-down-the-street-smoking-a-cigar-they-d-say/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [That is an editor. He is trying to think of a word. He props his feet on a chair, which is the editor's way;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/that-is-an-editor-he-is-trying-to-think-of-a-word-he-props-his-feet/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I huff and puff and struggle with every sentence, paragraph and page - sometimes every word as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-chambers/i-huff-and-puff-and-struggle-with-every-sentence-paragraph-and-page/) [Aidan Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-chambers/) > [So when we call pain a problem, we claim we do not deserve it. We are even prepared to scuttle God to maintain our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gerstner/so-when-we-call-pain-a-problem-we-claim-we-do-not-deserve-it-we-are/) [John Gerstner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gerstner/) > [“Well, if it isn't Puff the Magic Dragon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-macalister/well-if-it-isn-t-puff-the-magic-dragon/) [Katie MacAlister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-macalister/) > [I cannot cause light; the most I can do is try to put myself in the path of its beam. It is possible, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/i-cannot-cause-light-the-most-i-can-do-is-try-to-put-myself-in-the/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [When 1:45 came, half the class left, and Danny Hupfer whispered, "If she gives you a cream puff after we leave, I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-d-schmidt/when-1-45-came-half-the-class-left-and-danny-hupfer-whispered-if-she/) [Gary D. Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-d-schmidt/) > [The dead are never far from us. They're in our hearts and on our minds and in the end all that separates us from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kent-krueger/the-dead-are-never-far-from-us-they-re-in-our-hearts-and-on-our-minds/) [William Kent Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kent-krueger/) > [Environmental laws give power to the people. Republicans can huff, puff and scream about what they consider strict regulations, but when they cry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kammen/environmental-laws-give-power-to-the-people-republicans-can-huff-puff/) Daniel Kammen > [The sun don't shine forever, but as long as it's here, then we might as well shine together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/puff-daddy/the-sun-don-t-shine-forever-but-as-long-as-it-s-here-then-we-might-as/) [Puff Daddy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/puff-daddy/) > [Umm... I don't judge my relationship with Puff or Bad Boy according to other people or past artists. At the end of the day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/french-montana/umm-i-don-t-judge-my-relationship-with-puff-or-bad-boy-according-to/) [French Montana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/french-montana/) > [Free my mind one puff at a time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yomama/free-my-mind-one-puff-at-a-time/) Yomama > [If you could have a famous writer, dead or alive, write an obituary for you and really puff you up to have been something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padgett-powell/if-you-could-have-a-famous-writer-dead-or-alive-write-an-obituary-for/) [Padgett Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padgett-powell/) > [Puff Daddy is a great party thrower. He goes down in the history books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-ross/puff-daddy-is-a-great-party-thrower-he-goes-down-in-the-history-books/) [Rick Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-ross/) > [We didn't see what happen when Marines fired M-16s... We didn't see what happened after mortars landed, only the puff of smoke. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashleigh-banfield/we-didn-t-see-what-happen-when-marines-fired-m-16s-we-didn-t-see-what/) [Ashleigh Banfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashleigh-banfield/) ## More by John Ruskin > [“Occult Theft,--Theft which hides itself even from itself, and is legal, respectable, and cowardly,--corrupts the body and soul of man, to the last fibre…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/occult-theft-theft-which-hides-itself-even-from-itself-and-is-legal/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Mighty of heart, mighty of mind, magnanimous-to be this is indeed to be great in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/mighty-of-heart-mighty-of-mind-magnanimous-to-be-this-is-indeed-to-be/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Life is a magic vase filled to the brim, so made that you cannot dip from it nor draw from it; but it overflows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/life-is-a-magic-vase-filled-to-the-brim-so-made-that-you-cannot-dip/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [As in the instances of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, and other such popular creeds, political economy, has a plausible idea at the root of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/as-in-the-instances-of-alchemy-astrology-witchcraft-and-other-such/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [I am far more provoked at being thought foolish by foolish people, than pleased at being thought sensible by sensible people; and the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/i-am-far-more-provoked-at-being-thought-foolish-by-foolish-people/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [When we build ... let it not be for present delights nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/when-we-build-let-it-not-be-for-present-delights-nor-for-present-use/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is far more difficult to be simple than to be complicated; far more difficult to sacrifice skill and easy execution in the proper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-far-more-difficult-to-be-simple-than-to-be-complicated-far-more/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It is a good and safe rule to sojourn in every place as if you meant to spend your life there, never omitting an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-is-a-good-and-safe-rule-to-sojourn-in-every-place-as-if-you-meant/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [“You may trust to the truth of my sympathy; but you must remember that I am engaged in the investigation of enormous religious and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/you-may-trust-to-the-truth-of-my-sympathy-but-you-must-remember-that/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [And remember, child, that nothing is ever done beautifully, which is done in rivalship; or nobly, which is done in pride.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/and-remember-child-that-nothing-is-ever-done-beautifully-which-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [It’s unwise to pay too much, but it’s worse to pay too little.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/it-s-unwise-to-pay-too-much-but-it-s-worse-to-pay-too-little/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The world is full of vulgar Purists, who bring discredit on all selection by the silliness of their choice; and this the more, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-world-is-full-of-vulgar-purists-who-bring-discredit-on-all/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Like other beautiful things in this world, its end (that of a shaft) is to be beautiful; and, in proportion to its beauty, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/like-other-beautiful-things-in-this-world-its-end-that-of-a-shaft-is/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [All are to be men of genius in their degree,--rivulets or rivers, it does not matter, so that the souls be clear and pure;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/all-are-to-be-men-of-genius-in-their-degree-rivulets-or-rivers-it/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [The art of drawing which is of more real importance to the human race than that of writing...should be taught to every child just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-art-of-drawing-which-is-of-more-real-importance-to-the-human-race/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) [Explore all 696 John Ruskin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) ## More Conceit quotes > [“A session of boasting won't attract any real friends.  It will set you up on a pedestal, however, making you a clearer target.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/a-session-of-boasting-won-t-attract-any-real-friends-it-will-set-you/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [Most of us think of pride as self-centeredness, conceit, boastfulness, arrogance, or haughtiness. All of these are elements of the sin, but the heart,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-taft-benson/most-of-us-think-of-pride-as-self-centeredness-conceit-boastfulness/) [Ezra Taft Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-taft-benson/) > [Conceit is a sure sign of insecurity; humility denotes awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/conceit-is-a-sure-sign-of-insecurity-humility-denotes-awareness/) [Sivaya Subramuniyaswami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/) > [Conceit is a weird disease - it makes everybody sick except the guy who has it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/conceit-is-a-weird-disease-it-makes-everybody-sick-except-the-guy-who/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) > [Be very slow to believe that you are wiser than all others; it is a fatal but common error. Where one has been saved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-caleb-colton/be-very-slow-to-believe-that-you-are-wiser-than-all-others-it-is-a/) [Charles Caleb Colton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-caleb-colton/) > [History repeats the old conceits, the glib replies, the same defeats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elvis-costello/history-repeats-the-old-conceits-the-glib-replies-the-same-defeats/) [Elvis Costello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elvis-costello/) > [Being carefree, you can fit in anywhere. If you’re not carefree you keep on bumping up against things. Your life becomes so narrow, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tsoknyi-rinpoche/being-carefree-you-can-fit-in-anywhere-if-you-re-not-carefree-you/) [Tsoknyi Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tsoknyi-rinpoche/) > [This man, who for twenty-five years has been reading and writing about art, and in all that time has never understood anything about art,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/this-man-who-for-twenty-five-years-has-been-reading-and-writing-about/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [There is nothing like a good bit of pain for taking the conceit out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-welsh-carlyle/there-is-nothing-like-a-good-bit-of-pain-for-taking-the-conceit-out/) [Jane Welsh Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-welsh-carlyle/) > [If you want to conquer conceit, do not desire praise, laurels, nice garments, respect, favor, but like to be blamed and slandered by people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/if-you-want-to-conquer-conceit-do-not-desire-praise-laurels-nice/) [Vladimir Aleksandrovich Antonov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-aleksandrovich-antonov/) > [The smaller the mind, the greater the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-smaller-the-mind-the-greater-the-ego/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [If a man thinks he is not conceited, he is very conceited indeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-a-man-thinks-he-is-not-conceited-he-is-very-conceited-indeed/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There is simple ignorance, which is the source of lighter offenses, and double ignorance, which is accompanied by a conceit of wisdom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/there-is-simple-ignorance-which-is-the-source-of-lighter-offenses-and/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Jesus regularly visualized the success of his efforts ... 'I always do what pleases God.' ... Was this conceit? Or was it enlightened creativity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-beth-jones/jesus-regularly-visualized-the-success-of-his-efforts-i-always-do/) [Laurie Beth Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-beth-jones/) > [“Took long enough,” she called out, not wanting to admit how the sight of him made her throat hitch, how the man was so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-mcintyre/took-long-enough-she-called-out-not-wanting-to-admit-how-the-sight-of/) [Katherine McIntyre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-mcintyre/) [Browse all 360 Conceit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conceit/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Conceit may puff a man up, but never prop him up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Ruskin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop-him-up/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conceit" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop-him-up/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-ruskin-314_conceit_conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop_2951564.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-ruskin-314_conceit_conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop_2951564.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-ruskin-314_conceit_conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop_2951564.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Conceit may puff a man up, but never prop him up.” — John Ruskin", "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 Ruskin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Conceit may puff a man up,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop-him-up/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/conceit-may-puff-a-man-up-but-never-prop-him-up/#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 } } ] } ```