--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: True nobility isn't about being better…" description: "\"True nobility isn't about being better than anyone else; it's about being better than you used to be.\" — Portia de Rossi" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/portia-de-rossi-7193_inspirational_true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-t_2721643.png" --- # True nobility isn't about being better than anyone else… ![“True nobility isn't about being better than anyone else; it's about being better than you used to be.” quote by Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/portia-de-rossi-7193_inspirational_true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-t_2721643.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/portia-de-rossi-7193_inspirational_true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-t_2721643.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/portia-de-rossi-7193_inspirational_true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-t_2721643.png) > “True nobility isn't about being better than anyone else; it's about being better than you used to be.” [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True nobility is self‑improvement, not superiority over others. **In simple terms:** Being noble means bettering yourself. Key Takeaway Focus on personal growth. Themes self‑improvement humility virtue Mood inspirational hopeful Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career advancement - personal fitness - skill learning Key Concepts ethics psychology self‑development Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure personal growth? - What habits foster self‑betterment? A Different Perspective Comparing to others can hinder progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Nobility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nobility/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [Fitness is not about being better than someone else, but it is about being better than what you used to be!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikita-dutta/fitness-is-not-about-being-better-than-someone-else-but-it-is-about/) [Nikita Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikita-dutta/) > [My goal is not to be better than anyone else..but to be better that I used to be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-goal-is-not-to-be-better-than-anyone-else-but-to-be-better-that-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Virtue alone is true nobility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gifford/virtue-alone-is-true-nobility/) William Gifford > [True nobility is exempt from fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/true-nobility-is-exempt-from-fear/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The essence of true nobility is neglect of self. Let the thought of self pass in, and the beauty of a great action is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anthony-froude/the-essence-of-true-nobility-is-neglect-of-self-let-the-thought-of/) [James Anthony Froude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anthony-froude/) > [There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-is-nothing-noble-in-being-superior-to-your-fellow-man-true/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [There isnt anything noble about being superior to another person. True nobility is in being superior to the person you once were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vampoxxxx/there-isnt-anything-noble-about-being-superior-to-another-person-true/) Vampoxxxx > [Adversity often hatches out the true nobility of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-ade/adversity-often-hatches-out-the-true-nobility-of-character/) [George Ade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-ade/) > [There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/there-is-nothing-noble-in-being-superior-to-your-fellow-men-true/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [ Virtue is the only and true nobility. \[Lat., Nobilitas sola est atque unica virtus.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juvenal/virtue-is-the-only-and-true-nobility-lat-nobilitas-sola-est-atque/) [Juvenal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juvenal/) > [There is nothing noble in being superior to some other person. The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/there-is-nothing-noble-in-being-superior-to-some-other-person-the/) Proverb > [The army is the true nobility of our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/the-army-is-the-true-nobility-of-our-country/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [The older I get, the better I used to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-a-long/the-older-i-get-the-better-i-used-to-be/) R.A. Long > [Medications almost always do it better if they're used in conjunction with other supports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-oz/medications-almost-always-do-it-better-if-they-re-used-in-conjunction/) [Mehmet Oz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-oz/) > [I should have known better because I should be used to all of this by now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-should-have-known-better-because-i-should-be-used-to-all-of-this-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Portia de Rossi > [In high school I had sex with girls quite a few times. They were straight women who I convinced to jump in the sack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/in-high-school-i-had-sex-with-girls-quite-a-few-times-they-were/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [Supermodels are over, and the new picture girl has become the television actress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/supermodels-are-over-and-the-new-picture-girl-has-become-the/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I knew that I was gay, I knew it. I just couldn't see myself as a gay woman, even though that's where my heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-knew-that-i-was-gay-i-knew-it-i-just-couldn-t-see-myself-as-a-gay/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [You don't have to be emaciated or vomiting to be suffering. All people who live their lives on a diet are suffering.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/you-don-t-have-to-be-emaciated-or-vomiting-to-be-suffering-all-people/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I began to see myself as someone who can help others understand diversity rather than feeling like a social outcast. Ellen taught me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-began-to-see-myself-as-someone-who-can-help-others-understand/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [The most important thing for me was to never, ever, ever deny it. But I didn't really have the courage to talk about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/the-most-important-thing-for-me-was-to-never-ever-ever-deny-it-but-i/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I would eat 300 calories a day - a lot of Jell-O and no-sugar everything, of course. I was doing Pilates, weight-training, circuit training;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-would-eat-300-calories-a-day-a-lot-of-jell-o-and-no-sugar/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [The diet industry is making a lot of money selling us fad diets, nonfat foods full of chemicals, gym memberships, and pills while we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/the-diet-industry-is-making-a-lot-of-money-selling-us-fad-diets/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I really never stopped thinking about Ellen, because I just haven't felt that kind of energy with anyone in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-really-never-stopped-thinking-about-ellen-because-i-just-haven-t/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [Even if I'm hormonal and I feel like I've got a couple pounds of water weight, I will never starve myself, I will never,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/even-if-i-m-hormonal-and-i-feel-like-i-ve-got-a-couple-pounds-of/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [Restriction generates yearning. You want what you cannot have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/restriction-generates-yearning-you-want-what-you-cannot-have/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I didn't choose the fact that I was gay, but I did choose whether to live my life as a gay woman-that was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-didn-t-choose-the-fact-that-i-was-gay-but-i-did-choose-whether-to/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [You live with the fear people might find out. Then you actually have the courage to tell people and they go, I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/you-live-with-the-fear-people-might-find-out-then-you-actually-have/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I'm living by example by continuing on with my career and having a full, rich life, and I am incidentally gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-m-living-by-example-by-continuing-on-with-my-career-and-having-a/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I stumbled into acting and just loved it. I deferred law school-and I'm still deferred.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/i-stumbled-into-acting-and-just-loved-it-i-deferred-law-school-and-i/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) [Explore all 93 Portia de Rossi quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) ## More Inspirational quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We talk to God--that is prayer; God talks to us--that is inspiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-emilie-cady/we-talk-to-god-that-is-prayer-god-talks-to-us-that-is-inspiration/) [H. Emilie Cady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-emilie-cady/) > [You cant be controlling in improv.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/you-cant-be-controlling-in-improv/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [The man who can master his time can master nearly anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-man-who-can-master-his-time-can-master-nearly-anything/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/if-you-want-to-build-a-ship-don-t-drum-up-the-men-to-gather-wood/) [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/) > [Obviously, if you don't love life, you can't enjoy an oyster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eleanor-clark/obviously-if-you-don-t-love-life-you-can-t-enjoy-an-oyster/) [Eleanor Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eleanor-clark/) > [It's not the method, it's the mindset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-gilbert/it-s-not-the-method-it-s-the-mindset/) [Andy Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-gilbert/) > [It's a hard thing to describe. It's just this sense that you got something to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonah-lehrer/it-s-a-hard-thing-to-describe-it-s-just-this-sense-that-you-got/) [Jonah Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonah-lehrer/) > [Too much familiarity breeds contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/too-much-familiarity-breeds-contempt/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [Politics is not an issue whether you like or dislike , but every citizen must involve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khem-veasna/politics-is-not-an-issue-whether-you-like-or-dislike-but-every/) [Khem Veasna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khem-veasna/) > [God reveals Himself through surprises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/god-reveals-himself-through-surprises/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) [Browse all 114,561 Inspirational quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "True nobility isn't about being better than anyone else; it's about being better than you used to be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Portia de Rossi" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-than-anyone-else-it-s-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inspirational" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-than-anyone-else-it-s-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/portia-de-rossi-7193_inspirational_true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-t_2721643.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/portia-de-rossi-7193_inspirational_true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-t_2721643.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c80/portia-de-rossi-7193_inspirational_true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-t_2721643.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“True nobility isn't about being better than anyone else; it's about being better than you used to be.” — Portia de Rossi", "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": "Portia de Rossi", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "True nobility isn't about being better...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-than-anyone-else-it-s-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/true-nobility-isn-t-about-being-better-than-anyone-else-it-s-about/#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 } } ] } ```