There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.

The saying contrasts competitive, status-based “nobility” with an inward, ethical standard: the only meaningful superiority is self-mastery and growth over one’s past limitations. It frames character as a personal trajectory rather than a social ranking, implying that comparing oneself to others breeds vanity and cruelty, while comparing oneself to one’s former self encourages discipline, humility, and continuous improvement. In quotation culture it is often used as a succinct maxim about self-development and moral progress. However, despite frequent attribution to Hemingway, it is best treated as an aphorism of uncertain provenance rather than a securely documented line from his published work.