--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Look well at this, and speak no towering…" description: "\"“Look well at this, and speak no towering word yourself against the gods, nor walk too grandly because your hand is weightier t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28d/sophocles-370_balance_look-well-at-this-and-speak-no-towering_1885034.png" --- # Look well at this, and speak no towering word yourself… ![“Look well at this, and speak no towering word yourself against the gods, nor walk too grandly because your hand is weightier than another’s, 130 or your great wealth deeper founded. One short day inclines the balance of all human things to sink or rise again. Know that the gods love men of steady…” quote by Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28d/sophocles-370_balance_look-well-at-this-and-speak-no-towering_1885034.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28d/sophocles-370_balance_look-well-at-this-and-speak-no-towering_1885034.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28d/sophocles-370_balance_look-well-at-this-and-speak-no-towering_1885034.png) > ““Look well at this, and speak no towering word             yourself against the gods, nor walk too grandly             because your hand is weightier than another’s, 130      or your great wealth deeper founded. One short day             inclines the balance of all human things             to sink or rise again. Know that the gods             love men of steady sense and hate the wicked.”” [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote warns against hubris, urging humility and steady judgment, reminding that fate can shift quickly and the divine favor the modest. **In simple terms:** Avoid arrogance; stay humble and consistent. Key Takeaway Cultivate humility and steady sense. Themes humility hubris fate divine justice moderation Mood reflective serious Type cautionary philosophical When to use this quote - political leadership - personal ambition - ethical decision making - social influence Key Concepts Greek tragedy moral philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How do you check your pride before acting? - What steadiness can you practice in daily choices? A Different Perspective Even modest actions can provoke divine or societal backlash. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [Humans are upsetting a fragile balance that their own human ancestors established.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-d-vinge/humans-are-upsetting-a-fragile-balance-that-their-own-human-ancestors/) [Joan D. Vinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-d-vinge/) > [I fundamentally believe that in the moral balance of the human race, we right ourselves. 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His fingers drift to the silver oak leaf of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lafevers/what-do-you-know-of-gods-and-saints-i-ask-filling-my-voice-with-scorn/) [Robin LaFevers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lafevers/) > [“How could Quing-jao know what the gods meant by anything?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/how-could-quing-jao-know-what-the-gods-meant-by-anything/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“I know some gods. Better than I want to. Not one of them gives a shit about your heart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-stover/i-know-some-gods-better-than-i-want-to-not-one-of-them-gives-a-shit/) [Matthew Stover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-stover/) > [“Most witches don’t believe in gods. They know that the gods exist, of course. They even deal with them occasionally. But they don’t believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/most-witches-don-t-believe-in-gods-they-know-that-the-gods-exist-of/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by Sophocles > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [God's dice always have a lucky roll.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/god-s-dice-always-have-a-lucky-roll/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [A fool cannot be an actor, though an actor may act a fool's part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/a-fool-cannot-be-an-actor-though-an-actor-may-act-a-fool-s-part/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Go then if you must, but remember, no matter how foolish your deeds, those who love you will love you still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/go-then-if-you-must-but-remember-no-matter-how-foolish-your-deeds/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Man's worst ill is stubbornness of heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/man-s-worst-ill-is-stubbornness-of-heart/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [A lie never lives to be old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/a-lie-never-lives-to-be-old/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [How dangerous can false reasoning prove!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/how-dangerous-can-false-reasoning-prove/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [Why should man fear since chance is all in all for him, and he can clearly foreknow nothing? 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Yet you run yourself out in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/not-from-hades-black-and-universal-lake-can-you-lift-him-not-by/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [A fearful man is always hearing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/a-fearful-man-is-always-hearing-things/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [There is a point at which even justice does injury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/there-is-a-point-at-which-even-justice-does-injury/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) [Explore all 621 Sophocles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) ## More Balance quotes > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/) [Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. 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Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/) > [“We don't need to strive towards balance, we rather need to work on the obstacles that are preventing the natural flow of balance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-a-alebraheem/we-don-t-need-to-strive-towards-balance-we-rather-need-to-work-on-the/) [A.A. Alebraheem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-a-alebraheem/) > [I think that kind of balance comes with the process of growing together as a band, the Little Dragon. We love to write, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukimi-nagano/i-think-that-kind-of-balance-comes-with-the-process-of-growing/) [Yukimi Nagano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukimi-nagano/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [At times of recession, running a budget deficit is highly desirable. Once the economy begins to recover, you have to balance the budget. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-soros/at-times-of-recession-running-a-budget-deficit-is-highly-desirable/) [George Soros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-soros/) > [It's my intention to make something stand outside the realm of album art, but it also feels comfortable to me to be in it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dyer-baizley/it-s-my-intention-to-make-something-stand-outside-the-realm-of-album/) [John Dyer Baizley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dyer-baizley/) > [Once you've gotten your money in balance, you know how much you have to spend on things that are just fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/once-you-ve-gotten-your-money-in-balance-you-know-how-much-you-have/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [I never understood how much running changes your life. I'm now obsessed. When not trying to beat my personal best, I'm talking to other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadiq-khan/i-never-understood-how-much-running-changes-your-life-i-m-now/) [Sadiq Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadiq-khan/) > [Whatever needed to be done, I need to know how to do it just as well as my wife. You know, for us to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-isbell/whatever-needed-to-be-done-i-need-to-know-how-to-do-it-just-as-well/) [Jason Isbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-isbell/) > [I don't think my parents would have let me go straight into acting full time when I was 12. I do like to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-don-t-think-my-parents-would-have-let-me-go-straight-into-acting/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [When it comes down to music, I have no balance. I am 100 percent. It is like full throttle. Five hundred miles an hour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yanni/when-it-comes-down-to-music-i-have-no-balance-i-am-100-percent-it-is/) [Yanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yanni/) [Browse all 5,166 Balance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Look well at this, and speak no towering word             yourself against the gods, nor walk too grandly             because your hand is weightier than another’s, 130      or your great wealth deeper founded. One short day             inclines the balance of all human things             to sink or rise again. 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