WIST

You’ve no idea what a poor opinion I have of myself — and how little I deserve it.

Sir W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911) English playwright [William Schwenck Gilbert]
Ruddigore, Act I (1887)

There is … a manly and lawful passion for equality that incites men to wish all to be powerful and honored. This passion tends to elevate the humble to the rank of the great; but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom.

Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) French writer and politician
Democracy in America, 1.3 (1885) [tr. Beeve and Bowen (1862)]

Man’s life seems to me like a long, weary night that would be intolerable if there were not occasionally flashes of light, the sudden brightness of which is so comforting and wonderful, that the moments of their appearance cancel out and justify the years of darkness.

Herman Hesse (1877-1962)
Gertrude (1910) [tr. H. Rosner]

All men are afraid in battle.  The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty.

George S. Patton (1885-1945) American soldier
(Attributed)
In C. Province, The Unknown Patton (1983)

No man is truly great who is great only in his lifetime. The test of greatness is the page of history.

William Hazlitt (1778-1830) English writer
Table Talk, “The Indian Jugglers” (1821-22)

Full text.

Beloved-of-the-Gods, King Piyadasi, desires that all religions should reside everywhere, for all of them desire self-control and purity of heart. But people have various desires and various passions, and they may practice all of what they should or only a part of it. But one who receives great gifts yet is lacking in self-control, purity of heart, gratitude and firm devotion, such a person is mean.

Asoka (c. 269-232 BC) Indian Buddhist emperor [Ashoka, Piyadasi]
Edicts, Girnar version (256 BC)