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About this quote

What does it mean?
True greatness lies in balancing human weaknesses with a sense of divine confidence.
In plain terms
Be humble about your flaws but confident in your abilities.
What can you take from it?
Balance self-awareness with confidence to achieve true greatness.

Where it applies

  • leadership
  • personal development
  • decision making

Putting it to work

  • acknowledge limits
  • act with confidence
  • seek balance

Questions to consider

  • Where do you lack humility?
  • How confident are you in your strengths?

Another view

Some might confuse overconfidence with the security of a god.

More from Francis Bacon

  1. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior; for it is a prince's part to pardon.

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  2. It was a high speech of Seneca (after the manner of the Stoics), that 'The good things which belong to prosperity are to be wished, but the good things that be…

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  3. Base and crafty cowards are like the arrow that flieth in the dark.

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