Anybody who thinks he is something great, even before God, is rightly abandoned by God, as one who thinks that he does not need His help. Gregory Palamas
Science has made us gods even before we are worthy of being men. Jean Rostand
Even before string theory, especially as physics developed in the 20th century, it turned out that the equations that really work in describing nature with the most generality and the greatest simplicity are very elegant and subtle. Edward Witten
I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was. Muhammad Ali
You are like dew even before it rains. Ethiopian Proverb
The fly had life even before the dog had its wounds. African Proverb