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The art of staying humble when life is going well: 8 lessons from ancient philosophy

When should you talk about your own success, and how do you do it without taking all the credit? Plutarch, Confucius and the Stoics offer eight lessons.

By Lachlan Brown · November 5, 2026

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The art of staying humble when life is going well: 8 lessons from ancient philosophy

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From the magazine

7 signs you’re a good person, even if you don’t always feel like one

The loneliest part of retirement isn’t the quiet house. It’s the day you realize nobody has asked your advice in weeks, and the people who once called you first have quietly found someone else to call

In 1859, Abraham Lincoln told a crowd of Wisconsin farmers about an Eastern king who asked his wise men for one sentence that would always be true. They gave him: "And this, too, shall pass away."

Thought of the day from Stoic philosopher Seneca: “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it”

New to philosophy? Start here.