Self-conscious? Try a wig, a corset, a veil, a beard. Or cultivate shamelessness.

Self-pity dries up our sympathy for others.

If we think about the obvious long enough, it dissolves.

A sense of righteousness is even more dangerous than a violent temper.

I did not know I was in my prime until afterwards.

Never ask a bore a question.

Rhyme and meter force gaps in meaning so the muse can enter.