--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true way of knowing yourself includes…" description: "\"“The true way of knowing yourself includes neither self-praise nor self-blame, but only a wise silence.”\" — Vernon Howard" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/vernon-howard-2173_identity_the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-include_908357.png" --- # The true way of knowing yourself includes neither… ![“The true way of knowing yourself includes neither self-praise nor self-blame, but only a wise silence.” quote by Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/vernon-howard-2173_identity_the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-include_908357.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/vernon-howard-2173_identity_the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-include_908357.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/vernon-howard-2173_identity_the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-include_908357.png) > ““The true way of knowing yourself includes neither self-praise nor self-blame, but only a wise silence.”” [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Self‑knowledge comes from quiet observation, not self‑praise or self‑criticism. **In simple terms:** Know yourself through silence. Key Takeaway Practice mindful silence. Themes self‑awareness humility inner peace Mood calm introspective Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - meditation - journaling - therapy sessions Key Concepts mindfulness psychology Questions to Reflect On - How does silence foster deeper insight? - When is self‑praise harmful? A Different Perspective Silence may be misinterpreted as disengagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Knowing yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing-yourself/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-praise/) [Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/silence/) ## Related quotes > [Should thoughts of self-praise, of self-satisfaction, occur to you, say: 'I myself am nothing; all that is good in me is accomplished by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-of-kronstadt/should-thoughts-of-self-praise-of-self-satisfaction-occur-to-you-say/) [John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-of-kronstadt/) > [Most of our censure of others is only oblique praise of self, uttered to show the wisdom and superiority of the speaker. It has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tryon-edwards/most-of-our-censure-of-others-is-only-oblique-praise-of-self-uttered/) [Tryon Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tryon-edwards/) > [Let's be wise as the silence, strong as the wind, useful as the light; let's make of our lips a censer of the virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdu-l-bah/let-s-be-wise-as-the-silence-strong-as-the-wind-useful-as-the-light/) [Abdu'l-Bahá](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdu-l-bah/) > [I no longer agree to treat myself with disrespect. Every time a self-critical thought comes to mind, I will forgive the Judge and follow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-no-longer-agree-to-treat-myself-with-disrespect-every-time-a-self/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [That man is great, and he alone, Who serves a greatness not his own, For neither praise nor self: Content to know and be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bulwer-lytton-1st-earl-of-lytton/that-man-is-great-and-he-alone-who-serves-a-greatness-not-his-own-for/) [Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bulwer-lytton-1st-earl-of-lytton/) > [We do not like to praise, and seldom praise anyone without self-interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-do-not-like-to-praise-and-seldom-praise-anyone-without-self/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Make a decision and then make it right. There just are no wrong decisions. You could go this way, or that way, and either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/make-a-decision-and-then-make-it-right-there-just-are-no-wrong/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“Always back away from giving honor to yourself, self-tribute, or self-praise, however leaving God out, and others, who helped you to get to where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guessella-daniels-th-d/always-back-away-from-giving-honor-to-yourself-self-tribute-or-self/) [GUESSELLA DANIELS Th.D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guessella-daniels-th-d/) > [Self - praise is no recommendation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/self-praise-is-no-recommendation/) Proverb > [Self-praise is for losers. Be a winner. Stand for something. Always have class, and be humble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-madden/self-praise-is-for-losers-be-a-winner-stand-for-something-always-have/) [John Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-madden/) > [It is tempting to believe that social evils arise from the activities of evil men and that if only good men (like ourselves, naturally)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-august-von-hayek/it-is-tempting-to-believe-that-social-evils-arise-from-the-activities/) [Friedrich August von Hayek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-august-von-hayek/) > [“Much of someone's real character lies in what they don't say about themselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-rachelle/much-of-someone-s-real-character-lies-in-what-they-don-t-say-about/) [Joyce Rachelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-rachelle/) > [Self-praise is half slander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/self-praise-is-half-slander/) Proverb > [I may be wrong, but it seems rare in our age to find a widely praised person whose own mouth is not the source…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giacomo-leopardi/i-may-be-wrong-but-it-seems-rare-in-our-age-to-find-a-widely-praised/) [Giacomo Leopardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giacomo-leopardi/) > [Humor is the opposite of all self-admiration and self-praise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-barth/humor-is-the-opposite-of-all-self-admiration-and-self-praise/) [Karl Barth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-barth/) ## More by Vernon Howard > [“A self-working individual will be sitting around home one day when the startling thought occurs, “Here I am, sitting around, doing nothing of interest,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/a-self-working-individual-will-be-sitting-around-home-one-day-when/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The terrible immoralities are the cunning ones hiding behind masks of morality, such as exploiting people while pretending to help them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-terrible-immoralities-are-the-cunning-ones-hiding-behind-masks-of/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [No one on earth can hurt you, unless you accept the hurt in your own mind. . . The problem is not other people;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/no-one-on-earth-can-hurt-you-unless-you-accept-the-hurt-in-your-own/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [To change what you get you must change who you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/to-change-what-you-get-you-must-change-who-you-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Genuine kindness is not what we do, it is what we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/genuine-kindness-is-not-what-we-do-it-is-what-we-are/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [When told that man lives in delusion everyone thinks of himself as the exception; hence his delusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/when-told-that-man-lives-in-delusion-everyone-thinks-of-himself-as/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [It is against the law to permit weak people to steal your strength. Never permit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/it-is-against-the-law-to-permit-weak-people-to-steal-your-strength/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Men have the illusion of having a duty to make the world spin properly, which is precisely what makes it wobble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/men-have-the-illusion-of-having-a-duty-to-make-the-world-spin/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Just as surely as distress must follow self-deceit, healing must follow self-honesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/just-as-surely-as-distress-must-follow-self-deceit-healing-must/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Quit thinking that you must halt before the barrier of inner negativity. You need not. You can crash through... whatever we see a negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/quit-thinking-that-you-must-halt-before-the-barrier-of-inner/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [One false idea is that anyone can hurt you. Events can ruin your reputation, take your money, mistreat you, revenge itself upon you, deceive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/one-false-idea-is-that-anyone-can-hurt-you-events-can-ruin-your/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Don't try to be unafraid. That is impossible. Rather, go ahead while being afraid. That is the entire secret for abolishing fear. The Supermind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/don-t-try-to-be-unafraid-that-is-impossible-rather-go-ahead-while/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only way to do something truly important every day is to seek to understand yourself every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-way-to-do-something-truly-important-every-day-is-to-seek-to/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [Make it absolutely clear to yourself what you want from other people. That is really half the secret for drawing your desire to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/make-it-absolutely-clear-to-yourself-what-you-want-from-other-people/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) > [The only reason you do not do great things is because you timidly cling to small things. Will you let loose of small things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-only-reason-you-do-not-do-great-things-is-because-you-timidly/) [Vernon Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) [Explore all 181 Vernon Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/) ## More Identity quotes > [I don't doubt that straight white men have identity issues and identity complexes and struggle with defining themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-simien/i-don-t-doubt-that-straight-white-men-have-identity-issues-and/) [Justin Simien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-simien/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. Sign language is so beautiful. It gives you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-ayling-ellis/in-the-hearing-world-i-m-constantly-having-to-lip-read-and-trying-to/) [Rose Ayling-Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-ayling-ellis/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [You have expressive nationalism, I mean very identity driven, which shaped each other a lot of that in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/you-have-expressive-nationalism-i-mean-very-identity-driven-which/) [Subrahmanyam Jaishankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subrahmanyam-jaishankar/) > [Family over friends, because real friends are family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/family-over-friends-because-real-friends-are-family/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think everybody, or the great majority of human beings, have this aspiration to become other: to live a different identity, at least for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/i-think-everybody-or-the-great-majority-of-human-beings-have-this/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [The language we share is at the core of our identity as citizens, and our ticket to full participation in American political life. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-i-hayakawa/the-language-we-share-is-at-the-core-of-our-identity-as-citizens-and/) [S. I. Hayakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-i-hayakawa/) > [Tell me how much a nation knows about its own language, and I will tell you how much that nation knows about its own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ciardi/tell-me-how-much-a-nation-knows-about-its-own-language-and-i-will/) [John Ciardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ciardi/) > [I think that most of us, anyway, read these stories that we know are not "true" because we're hungry for another kind of truth:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/i-think-that-most-of-us-anyway-read-these-stories-that-we-know-are/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“In the worldly life, due to maadakta (intoxication of the ego of ‘I am Chandubhai’), one has completely lost awareness of everything about one’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/in-the-worldly-life-due-to-maadakta-intoxication-of-the-ego-of-i-am/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“At the moment, then, of Man’s victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/at-the-moment-then-of-man-s-victory-over-nature-we-find-the-whole/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [She might be without country, without nation, but inside her there was still a being that could exist and be free, that could simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-maas/she-might-be-without-country-without-nation-but-inside-her-there-was/) [Sharon Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-maas/) > [“Self-realization or self-knowing or awakening is about knowing/ becoming conscious of our true nature and living in harmony with the universe in an ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-vazhakunnathu/self-realization-or-self-knowing-or-awakening-is-about-knowing/) [Thomas Vazhakunnathu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-vazhakunnathu/) > [“There are some things that one individual can do for another, and there are some things that one race can do for another. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/booker-t-washington/there-are-some-things-that-one-individual-can-do-for-another-and/) [Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/) > [“Why were there no words that spoke positively about being concerned about the self? Why was there only negative connotation in terms like "selfish",…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-dalton/why-were-there-no-words-that-spoke-positively-about-being-concerned/) A.J. Dalton [Browse all 11,949 Identity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The true way of knowing yourself includes neither self-praise nor self-blame, but only a wise silence.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Vernon Howard" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-includes-neither-self-praise-nor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Identity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-includes-neither-self-praise-nor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/vernon-howard-2173_identity_the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-include_908357.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/vernon-howard-2173_identity_the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-include_908357.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b44/vernon-howard-2173_identity_the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-include_908357.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The true way of knowing yourself includes neither self-praise nor self-blame, but only a wise silence.” — Vernon Howard", "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": "Vernon Howard", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vernon-howard/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The true way of knowing yourself...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-includes-neither-self-praise-nor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vernon-howard/the-true-way-of-knowing-yourself-includes-neither-self-praise-nor/#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 } } ] } ```