"The greatest magnifying glasses in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own person"
- Alexander Pope
About this Quote
This quote by Alexander Pope is a reminder to take a step back and take a look at ourselves objectively. It suggests that we are our own harshest critics, and that we can be our own worst enemies. We can be so important of ourselves that it can be like looking at ourselves through a magnifying glass. We can be so concentrated on our flaws that we forget to appreciate our strengths. Pope is encouraging us to take an action back and look at ourselves with a more positive viewpoint. He is advising us to be kind to ourselves and to recognize our own worth. We must make the effort to value our own distinct qualities and to be proud of our accomplishments. We need to strive to be our own most significant supporters and to acknowledge our own capacity.
"When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said "Let us pray." We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land"