---
title: "Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perha… — Jonathan Swift Quote #51 | QuotesBy.net"
description: "Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps as few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes the… — a quote by Jonathan Swift."
image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png"
---

> # Although men are accused of not knowing their own weakness, yet perhaps as few know their own strength. It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold, which the owner knows not of.

[Jonathan Swift](https://quotesby.net/Jonathan-Swift)\#51

[Talent](https://quotesby.net/Jonathan-Swift/talent/)[Awareness](https://quotesby.net/topics/awareness/)[Potential](https://quotesby.net/topics/potential/)[Self awareness](https://quotesby.net/topics/self-awareness/)[Self improvement](https://quotesby.net/topics/self-improvement/)

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## About this quote

What does it mean?People often overlook their own strengths just as they overlook weaknesses.In plain termsMany do not know what they are good at even though they know what they are bad at.What can you take from it?Self-awareness includes recognizing hidden strengths.

### Where it applies

- career planning
- self-coaching
- interviews

### Putting it to work

- audit personal strengths
- seek external feedback

### Questions to consider

- What strengths do you overlook in yourself?
- How do you discover your true talents?

### Another view

It assumes everyone has a hidden vein of gold to find.

## More from Jonathan Swift

1. > Men are contented to be laughed at for their wit, but not for their folly.

[Permalink to quote \#50](https://quotesby.net/Jonathan-Swift/50/ "Permalink to quote 50")
2. > Ambition often puts men upon doing the meanest offices; so climbing is performed in the same posture with creeping.

[Permalink to quote \#52](https://quotesby.net/Jonathan-Swift/52/ "Permalink to quote 52")
3. > Politics, as the word is commonly understood, are nothing but corruptions, and consequently of no use to a good king or a good ministry; for which reason Court…

[Permalink to quote \#49](https://quotesby.net/Jonathan-Swift/49/ "Permalink to quote 49")

## Related quotes

1. > Your best side? My dear, you're sitting on it.

[Alfred Hitchcock](https://quotesby.net/Alfred-Hitchcock)[Alfred Hitchcock quote \#11](https://quotesby.net/Alfred-Hitchcock/11/ "Permalink to quote 11")
2. > You still don't know what you do well.

[Douglas Coupland](https://quotesby.net/Douglas-Coupland)[Douglas Coupland quote \#23](https://quotesby.net/Douglas-Coupland/23/ "Permalink to quote 23")
3. > We suffer primarily not from our vices or our weaknesses, but from our illusions.

[Daniel J. Boorstin](https://quotesby.net/Daniel-J.-Boorstin)[Daniel J. Boorstin quote \#1](https://quotesby.net/Daniel-J.-Boorstin/1/ "Permalink to quote 1")

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