--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am sure, Though you can guess what…" description: "\"I am sure, Though you can guess what temperance should be, You know not what it is.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/william-shakespeare-4_be-you_i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temp_780288.jpg" --- # I am sure, Though you can guess what temperance should be… ![“I am sure, Though you can guess what temperance should be, You know not what it is.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/william-shakespeare-4_be-you_i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temp_780288.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/william-shakespeare-4_be-you_i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temp_780288.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/william-shakespeare-4_be-you_i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temp_780288.jpg) > “I am sure, Though you can guess what temperance should be, You know not what it is.” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Temperance is a virtue not understood by mere speculation; it requires lived experience to grasp its true nature. **In simple terms:** Temperance must be lived, not just guessed. Key Takeaway Seek practical experience of moderation. Themes virtue self‑knowledge philosophy Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - leadership - decision making Key Concepts Stoicism ethical practice Questions to Reflect On - How do you practice moderation daily? - What does temperance look like in your life? A Different Perspective Temperance can be misinterpreted without concrete examples. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Be you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-you/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Guess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess/) [Guess Temperance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guess-temperance-2358388/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Sure Guess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sure-guess-1696584/) [Temperance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temperance/) [Temperance Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/temperance-know-2358387/) ## Related quotes > [“Though you can guess what temperance should be, You know not what it is”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/though-you-can-guess-what-temperance-should-be-you-know-not-what-it-is/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“How many midgets does it take to take over the world? I’m not sure, but I’d guess twice as many.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/how-many-midgets-does-it-take-to-take-over-the-world-i-m-not-sure-but/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“But I have none: the king-becoming graces, As justice, verity, temperance, stableness, Bounty, perseverance, mercy, lowliness, Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude, I have no relish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-i-have-none-the-king-becoming-graces-as-justice-verity-temperance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Make less thy body hence, and more thy grace. Leave gormandizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/make-less-thy-body-hence-and-more-thy-grace-leave-gormandizing/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The brain may devise laws for the blood, but a hot temper leaps o'er a cold decree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/the-brain-may-devise-laws-for-the-blood-but-a-hot-temper-leaps-o-er-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Great men should drink with harness on their throats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/great-men-should-drink-with-harness-on-their-throats/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you-trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/speak-the-speech-i-pray-you-as-i-pronounced-it-to-you-trippingly-on-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Who can be wise, amazed, temperate and furious, Loyal and neutral, in a moment? No man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/who-can-be-wise-amazed-temperate-and-furious-loyal-and-neutral-in-a/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [If it be you that stirs these daughters' hearts Against their father, fool me not so much To bear it tamely; touch me with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/if-it-be-you-that-stirs-these-daughters-hearts-against-their-father/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague...Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-reuben-clark/let-us-avoid-debt-as-we-would-avoid-a-plague-let-every-head-of-every/) [J. Reuben Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-reuben-clark/) > [For both excessive and insufficient exercise destroy one's strength, and both eating and drinking too much or too little destroy health, whereas the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/for-both-excessive-and-insufficient-exercise-destroy-one-s-strength/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [The Democratic party of Florida has put a temperance plank in its platform and the Republican party of every state would nail that plank…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-sunday/the-democratic-party-of-florida-has-put-a-temperance-plank-in-its/) [Billy Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-sunday/) > [There is no difference between knowledge and temperance; for he who knows what is good and embraces it, who knows what is bad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/socrates/there-is-no-difference-between-knowledge-and-temperance-for-he-who/) [Socrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/socrates/) > [You must teach yourself how to eat less, but with discernment, insofar as your work allows. The measure of temperance should be such that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/silouan-the-athonite/you-must-teach-yourself-how-to-eat-less-but-with-discernment-insofar/) [Silouan the Athonite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/silouan-the-athonite/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I, measuring his affections by my own, Which then most sought where most might not be found, Being one too many by my weary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-measuring-his-affections-by-my-own-which-then-most-sought-where/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. Julius Caesar (2.1.248-251)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/thou-hast-no-figures-nor-no-fantasies-which-busy-care-draws-in-the/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Have you not heard it said full oft, A woman's nay doth stand for naught?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/have-you-not-heard-it-said-full-oft-a-woman-s-nay-doth-stand-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Omittance is no quittance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/omittance-is-no-quittance/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Yes, madam: yet I cannot choose but laugh, To think it should leave crying and say 'Ay.' And yet, I warrant, it had upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/yes-madam-yet-i-cannot-choose-but-laugh-to-think-it-should-leave/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I take thee at thy word: Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; Henceforth I never will be Romeo.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-take-thee-at-thy-word-call-me-but-love-and-i-ll-be-new-baptized/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) [Explore all 5,604 William Shakespeare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More Be you quotes > [I just think music is one of those frontiers where people really want the "I" to be you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/regina-spektor/i-just-think-music-is-one-of-those-frontiers-where-people-really-want/) [Regina Spektor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/regina-spektor/) > [“You go into extinction by being obsessed about becoming something else and then travelling in the wrong car while your real self keeps waiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-go-into-extinction-by-being-obsessed-about-becoming-something/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [If you can't love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/if-you-can-t-love-yourself-how-in-the-hell-you-gonna-love-somebody/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [When you are not honoring the present moment by allowing it to be, you are creating drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-are-not-honoring-the-present-moment-by-allowing-it-to-be-you/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [No matter how beautiful a woman might be, you're always threatened by certain... You're always threatened by](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/no-matter-how-beautiful-a-woman-might-be-you-re-always-threatened-by/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [Be comfortable; be you. Whats most important is to understand what suits your body type and personality. Stick to that, and you cant go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonakshi-sinha/be-comfortable-be-you-whats-most-important-is-to-understand-what/) [Sonakshi Sinha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonakshi-sinha/) > [Strong families use the word "we" a lot, but "I" is never forgotten. Family members know they have the freedom to go off on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-brothers/strong-families-use-the-word-we-a-lot-but-i-is-never-forgotten-family/) [Joyce Brothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-brothers/) > [There is no future and there is no past, there never has been, there never will be. You just think there is. It's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-is-no-future-and-there-is-no-past-there-never-has-been-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Acting is not a state of being ... but a state of appearing to be. You can't be eight times a week without going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-coward/acting-is-not-a-state-of-being-but-a-state-of-appearing-to-be-you-can/) [Noel Coward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-coward/) > [It doesn't have the ability to think rationally this economic model. It thinks like a drug addict: 'Where can I get my next fix?'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/it-doesn-t-have-the-ability-to-think-rationally-this-economic-model/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [the myth of childhood happiness flourishes so wildly not because it satisfies the needs of children but because it satisfies the needs of adults.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/the-myth-of-childhood-happiness-flourishes-so-wildly-not-because-it/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) > [Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clare-of-assisi/go-forth-in-peace-for-you-have-followed-the-good-road-go-forth/) [Clare of Assisi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clare-of-assisi/) > [I've never forgotten a word of advice my father gave to me. 'Never lose sight of your dream,' he said 'Of that person you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-lowrie-marshall/i-ve-never-forgotten-a-word-of-advice-my-father-gave-to-me-never-lose/) [Helen Lowrie Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-lowrie-marshall/) > [Always be a first-rate version of yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audrey-hepburn/always-be-a-first-rate-version-of-yourself/) [Audrey Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audrey-hepburn/) > [You can be anything you want to be. You can be a street sweeper, if you want. Just be the best blasted street sweeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dinkins/you-can-be-anything-you-want-to-be-you-can-be-a-street-sweeper-if-you/) [David Dinkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dinkins/) [Browse all 477 Be you quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/be-you/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am sure, Though you can guess what temperance should be, You know not what it is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Shakespeare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temperance-should-be-you-know-not/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Be you" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temperance-should-be-you-know-not/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/william-shakespeare-4_be-you_i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temp_780288.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/william-shakespeare-4_be-you_i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temp_780288.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/william-shakespeare-4_be-you_i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temp_780288.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am sure, Though you can guess what temperance should be, You know not what it is.” — William Shakespeare", "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": "William Shakespeare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am sure, Though you can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temperance-should-be-you-know-not/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-am-sure-though-you-can-guess-what-temperance-should-be-you-know-not/#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 } } ] } ```