Business Quote by W. H. Auden
“When I find myself in the company of scientists, I feel like a shabby curate who has strayed by mistake into a room full of dukes.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Unknown Citizen" (or similar), 1939
The speaker feels out of place among scholars, highlighting feelings of inadequacy and intellectual humility.
In simple terms: He feels like an outsider among experts.
Key Takeaway
Accept humility in scholarly settings.
Themes
intellectual humility
self‑doubt
social comparison
learning
confidence
Mood
introspective
humble
Type
poetry
personal reflection
When to use this quote
- academic conferences
- peer discussions
- personal development
- mentorship
Key Concepts
psychology
education
social dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How can one bridge confidence gaps?
- What value does humility bring?
A Different Perspective
May overstate self‑criticism.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)