Oh, wad some power the giftie gie us
To see oursel's as ithers see us!
It wad read more

Oh, wad some power the giftie gie us
To see oursel's as ithers see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
And foolish notion.

If a person is to get the meaning of life he must learn to like the facts about himself -- read more

If a person is to get the meaning of life he must learn to like the facts about himself -- ugly as they may seem to his sentimental vanity -- before he can learn the truth behind the facts. And the truth is never ugly.

Self-love seems so often unrequited.

Self-love seems so often unrequited.

It is difficult to esteem a man as highly as he would wish.
[Fr., Il est difficile d'estimer quelqu'un read more

It is difficult to esteem a man as highly as he would wish.
[Fr., Il est difficile d'estimer quelqu'un comme il veut l'etre.]

Vain-glorious men are the scorn of the wise, the admiration of fools, the idols of paradise, and the slaves of read more

Vain-glorious men are the scorn of the wise, the admiration of fools, the idols of paradise, and the slaves of their own vaunts.

We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for.

We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for.

Methinks I am a prophet new inspired
And thus, expiring, do foretell of him:
His rash fierce read more

Methinks I am a prophet new inspired
And thus, expiring, do foretell of him:
His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last,
For violent fires soon burn out themselves;
Small show'rs last long, but sudden storms are short;
He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes;
With eager feeding doth choke the feeder;
Light vanity, insatiate cormorant,
Consuming means, soon preys upon itself.

Where doth the world thrust forth a vanity
(So it be new, there's no respect how vile)
read more

Where doth the world thrust forth a vanity
(So it be new, there's no respect how vile)
That is not quickly buzzed into his ears?

Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of read more

Even in a time of elephantine vanity and greed, one never has to look far to see the campfires of gentle people.