Who said “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we…”?

Verified

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceKavanagh: A Tale (1849), Chapter 1.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Kavanagh: A Tale (1849), Chapter 1..

APA

Longfellow, H. W. (n.d.). We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17346-we-judge-ourselves-by-what-we-feel-capable/

MLA

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17346-we-judge-ourselves-by-what-we-feel-capable/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth. “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/17346-we-judge-ourselves-by-what-we-feel-capable/.