---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It would be hard to name a more certain…"
description: "\"It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor self-esteem than the need to perceive some other group as inferior.\" — Nathaniel Branden"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/nathaniel-branden-2125_certain_it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain_223044.png"
---

#  It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor…

![“It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor self-esteem than the need to perceive some other group as inferior.” quote by Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/nathaniel-branden-2125_certain_it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain_223044.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/nathaniel-branden-2125_certain_it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain_223044.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/nathaniel-branden-2125_certain_it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain_223044.png)

> “It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor self-esteem than the need to perceive some other group as inferior.”

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Demeaning others signals deep insecurity and low self-worth.

**In simple terms:** Belittling others shows low self-esteem.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate self-respect without demeaning others.

Themes

self-esteem insecurity social comparison

Mood

analytical thoughtful

Type

psychological philosophical

When to use this quote

- workplace interactions
- online discourse
- educational settings

Key Concepts

psychology self-worth group dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- Why do we compare ourselves to others?
- How can we boost self-esteem healthily?

A Different Perspective

It may ignore cultural or systemic factors.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/esteem/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self esteem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-esteem/)

## Related quotes

> [“Whenever a Black person or group used White people as a standard of measurement, and cast another Black person or group as inferior, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibram-x-kendi/whenever-a-black-person-or-group-used-white-people-as-a-standard-of/)

[Ibram X. Kendi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibram-x-kendi/)

> [Anyone determined to find another person or group inferior can always find whole lists of grounds that demonstrate inferiority because we are all inferior…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilyn-french/anyone-determined-to-find-another-person-or-group-inferior-can-always/)

[Marilyn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilyn-french/)

> [When you're talking to a person, it only matters what they are perceiving. You only need them to perceive you as a loving husband.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-smith/when-you-re-talking-to-a-person-it-only-matters-what-they-are/)

[Will Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-smith/)

> [“We need to perceive ourselves as the special race. If not, beasts will perceive themselves as the chosen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/we-need-to-perceive-ourselves-as-the-special-race-if-not-beasts-will/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [I must admit that many humans have a strong need to perceive life as in some sense benign and potentially happy. It is also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephan-a-hoeller/i-must-admit-that-many-humans-have-a-strong-need-to-perceive-life-as/)

[Stephan A. Hoeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephan-a-hoeller/)

> [The inferior man attempts a hundred intrigues in order to save himself, but finishes only in creating a greater calamity from which he cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wang-yangming/the-inferior-man-attempts-a-hundred-intrigues-in-order-to-save/)

[Wang Yangming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wang-yangming/)

> [It is easy to be humble when a greater is preferred; but when an inferior is lifted high above our heads, how can we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-fenimore-woolson/it-is-easy-to-be-humble-when-a-greater-is-preferred-but-when-an/)

[Constance Fenimore Woolson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-fenimore-woolson/)

> [It is said that the inferior seek to emulate the superior. Thus, if a general slackens only a little, those beneath him will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kato-kiyomasa/it-is-said-that-the-inferior-seek-to-emulate-the-superior-thus-if-a/)

[Kato Kiyomasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kato-kiyomasa/)

> [Everything except God has some natural superior; everything except unformed matter has some natural inferior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/everything-except-god-has-some-natural-superior-everything-except/)

[C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/)

> [To strive with an equal is dangerous; with a superior, mad; with an inferior, degrading.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/to-strive-with-an-equal-is-dangerous-with-a-superior-mad-with-an/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Duncan Edwards is the one person who, even today, I really felt inferior to. I've never know anybody so gifted and strong and powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-charlton/duncan-edwards-is-the-one-person-who-even-today-i-really-felt/)

[Bobby Charlton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-charlton/)

> [Inferior thinking and writing will make a name for a man among inferior people, who in all ages and countries, are the majority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/inferior-thinking-and-writing-will-make-a-name-for-a-man-among/)

[John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/)

> [anything being perceived as being superior takes the noun. And everything that isn't, that's judged to be inferior, requires an adjective. So there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/anything-being-perceived-as-being-superior-takes-the-noun-and/)

[Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/)

> [Ahimsa can be practiced only towards those that are inferior to you in every way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/ahimsa-can-be-practiced-only-towards-those-that-are-inferior-to-you/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [Snobs are people who look down on other people, but that does not justify our looking down on them. Who can say what dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/snobs-are-people-who-look-down-on-other-people-but-that-does-not/)

[Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/)

## More by Nathaniel Branden

> [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [A commitment to lifelong learning is a natural expression of the practice of living consciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/a-commitment-to-lifelong-learning-is-a-natural-expression-of-the/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [What a great teacher, a great parent, a great psychotherapist and a great coach have in common is a deep belief in the potential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/what-a-great-teacher-a-great-parent-a-great-psychotherapist-and-a/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [If we are happy within ourselves, we don't accept or demand that our partner should fulfill every need. We need to be comfortable with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/if-we-are-happy-within-ourselves-we-don-t-accept-or-demand-that-our/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [The world belongs to those who persevere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/the-world-belongs-to-those-who-persevere/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Productive achievement is a consequence and an expression of health, self-esteem, not its cause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/productive-achievement-is-a-consequence-and-an-expression-of-health/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Faith is the commitment of one's consciousness to beliefs for which one has no sensory evidence or rational proof. When man rejects reason as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/faith-is-the-commitment-of-one-s-consciousness-to-beliefs-for-which/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [In the nature of our existence, we must act to achieve values. And in order to act appropriately, we need to value the beneficiary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/in-the-nature-of-our-existence-we-must-act-to-achieve-values-and-in/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [I cannot remember a time when the question of why people behave as they do was not intensely interesting to me. The desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/i-cannot-remember-a-time-when-the-question-of-why-people-behave-as/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Suppose you feel you cannot accept some fact about yourself. Then own your refusal to accept. Own the block. Embrace it fully. And watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/suppose-you-feel-you-cannot-accept-some-fact-about-yourself-then-own/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [Doing more of what doesn't work doesn't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/doing-more-of-what-doesn-t-work-doesn-t-work/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [“Out of fear, out of the desire for approval, out of misguided notions of duty, people surrender themselves--their convictions and their aspirations--every day. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/out-of-fear-out-of-the-desire-for-approval-out-of-misguided-notions/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [If you overcome your fear to ask someone for a date, a raise, or help with a project, that is an act of self-assertiveness.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/if-you-overcome-your-fear-to-ask-someone-for-a-date-a-raise-or-help/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [When we bury our feelings, we also bury ourselves. It means we exist in a state of alienation. We rarely know it, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/when-we-bury-our-feelings-we-also-bury-ourselves-it-means-we-exist-in/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

> [“Often children who survive extremely adverse childhoods have learned a particular survival strategy. I call it ‘strategic detachment.’ This is not the withdrawal from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/often-children-who-survive-extremely-adverse-childhoods-have-learned/)

[Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

[Explore all 183 Nathaniel Branden quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/)

## More Certain quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/)

[Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/)

[Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/)

> [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/)

Riffat Hassan

> [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/)

[Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/)

> [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/)

[Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/)

> [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/)

[Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/)

> [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/)

T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings

> [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/)

[Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/)

> [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/)

[Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/)

> [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/)

[Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/)

> [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/)

[Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/)

> [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/)

[Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/)

Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor self-esteem than the need to perceive some other group as inferior.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Nathaniel Branden"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain-sign-of-poor-self-esteem-than/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Certain"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain-sign-of-poor-self-esteem-than/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/nathaniel-branden-2125_certain_it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain_223044.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/nathaniel-branden-2125_certain_it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain_223044.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c06/nathaniel-branden-2125_certain_it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain_223044.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“It would be hard to name a more certain sign of poor self-esteem than the need to perceive some other group…” — Nathaniel Branden",
                "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": "Nathaniel Branden",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "It would be hard to name...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain-sign-of-poor-self-esteem-than/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/it-would-be-hard-to-name-a-more-certain-sign-of-poor-self-esteem-than/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
