François de La Rochefoucauld Quote

There is a certain dignity of manner independent of fortune, a certain distinctive air which seems to mark us out for great things. It is a value we set upon ourselves without realizing it, and by means of this quality we claim other men's deference as our due. This does more to set us above them than birth, honors, and merit itself.

Reflections; or Sentences and Moral Maxims (1665–1678)