Every time I tried talking about hubris, people just rolled their eyes or got defensive. Felt like hitting a wall. Thought I found a smart solution last month – using famous hubris quotes to make the point softer. You know, let those dead philosophers and heroes take the heat instead of me. Simple, right? Yeah, didn’t turn out that way.
So first, I tossed quotes like candy. Someone bragged about crushing a project? Slapped a “Pride goeth before destruction” in the team chat. My neighbor bragging non-stop about his kid? Dropped a casual “Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make proud” over the fence. Felt clever. Like I was dropping truth bombs.
Nope. Big nope. My coworker just got quiet, then snappy later. Said I was “undermining his win.” My neighbor actually pulled his kid inside fast, like I said something scary. Total backfire. Felt worse than before.
Where I Screwed Up Big Time
It hit me later: I was weaponizing wisdom. Ouch. Realized it wasn’t the quotes themselves. It was how and when I used them. Basically:
- Timing sucked. Throwing quotes mid-brag? Felt like a slap, not a nudge.
- Tone was wrong. My “casual drop”? Probably sounded smug. Like I knew better.
- No follow-up. Dropped the bomb and vanished. No explanation, no support. Left them scrambling.
Took me a few awkward encounters to get this. Was about to scrap the whole idea.
My Fix (Mostly Working)
Switched tactics. Decided quotes needed context and absolutely zero “gotcha” vibe. Now, I try this:
- Save it for later. When the bragging stops, the moment cools down? Maybe bring it up gently. “Hey, earlier made me think of this thing Solon said…”
- Share why it hit ME. Not “YOU should hear this.” Make it personal. “Ugh, this Shakespeare line about pride stings because I’ve totally been there…” Opens the door.
- Less judgement, more observation. “Isn’t it wild how often history shows confidence tipping into overreach?” Not “LOOK, you’re being Icarus!”
Way harder than just tossing quotes. Forces me to be patient and actually care about the landing.
Still Messy, Still Learning
Honestly? It’s still hit or miss. Some people just don’t want the mirror held up. Had a buddy completely shut down last week after I mentioned that quote about power corrupting, even after sharing my own dumb power trip story first. Can’t win ’em all.
Biggest lesson? Quotes aren’t shortcuts. They’re conversation starters, not endings. Requires way more humility on my part to use them right. Irony? Totally not lost on me.
