Humility - A New Perspective
"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."
- Rick Warren
What Is Humility?
Often touted as a virtue to possess, humility is about having an attitude that everyone is equal, which translates to actions that embody fairness and empathy. In the absence of believing that any individual being is superior to another, people are able to interact more openly and connect at an emotional level with trust and honesty.
On the flip side of the coin, humility is also interpreted as a lack of self worth or having an attitude that your strengths and achievements are insignificant when compared to others. It is definitely a fine line to traverse on. Nonetheless, Rick Warren has accurately and succinctly captured the essence of humility in his quote above - maintaining a healthy opinion of yourself while placing more emphasis on the connection and interaction with others.
Case Study By The Dalai Lama
The lack of humility unfortunately, is frequently accompanied by loneliness and stress. Taking a leaf from the Dalai Lama’s personal experience, he shared about the stress he felt before delivering spiritual teachings during his earlier days. Upon reflection, his anxiety arises from the perspective that he was superior compared to his students. Hence, there was a self-imposed expectation on how he should unilaterally deliver his teachings every time, which led to a sense of loneliness and stress.
After realising the crux of the problem and adopting a new perspective by practicing humility, the Dalai Lama saw himself as an equal to the people around him. As a result, he was able to better relate to his audience during the delivery of his teachings while eliminating the anxiety that he once felt.
Personal Take On Humility
The lessons from the Dalai Lama resonated strongly with me, as I incorporated the practice of humility in my life. The practice led to an increase in my self-awareness, allowing me to identify my strengths and weaknesses. This broadened my view, to understand that as individuals, we each possess unique experiences and knowledge in comparison to others. This does not mean one is superior than the other. Rather, each of us is blessed with the opportunity to know different subsets of information in life and this provides us with a reason to share and exchange with one another openly. Having this new perspective, I was able to position myself amongst my peers and colleagues as a conscientious and open-minded individual. This translates to me being able to share information willingly, be receptive to feedback and correction, and curious to hear and learn from others.
Concluding
As a whole, the practice of humility has enhanced my ability to communicate confidently and honestly with others by eliminating a sense of superiority and comparison. Being humble has also empowered me to be recognise my individuality and stand by my own values, reinforcing Rick Warren’s cautious take on not undermining myself in the process.
I hope this post has shed some light on the interpretation and benefits of humility for you. Would you be keen to further develop this virtue yourself?