Proverbs 25:6-7 Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence, and do not claim a place among his great men; (7) it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,” than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.
Jesus quotes directly from this proverb [see Luke 14 verses 7-11].
The English saying that compares is “Take a back seat!”
Human behaviour seems to prefer the opposite:
“Fortune favours the bold!”
And yet: “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread”
Like so many proverbs, we get two statements that appear to contradict but, in context, make a lot of sense.
The context in today’s proverb is sensible humility and willingness to appreciate the quality of others.
Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves
Proverbs 27:2 Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.