In a world where people are becoming more competitive, attention-seeking, egotistical, self-obsessed, and entitled, humility is not always recognized as an important attribute to have, yet it is a great character strength.
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What Exactly Humble Means and Why Is It Important?
Humility is the ability to see yourself as an individual with both strengths and weaknesses while remaining free of hubris and poor self-esteem.
Humility is not usually regarded as a virtue, but rather as a flaw. Some define humility as having poor self-esteem, low self-esteem, and a lack of confidence. In truth, humility is having the self-esteem to recognize that even if you are doing well, you do not need to brag or gloat about it.
A person’s humility disappears the moment they think they possess it.
It’s an intriguing virtue that, when completely realized, can lead to a successful and meaningful existence.
Humility does not imply a lack of self-esteem or an invitation for others to take advantage of you. It is more of a profound awareness of reality that directs your activities and liberates you from the problems that afflict your existence.
Here are 10 ways humility accomplishes this:
1) People around you feel at ease and cherished.
Humility is a really appealing attribute. Others feel respected and enjoy their time with you when you display humility. Those around you either feel inferior or find you annoying when you radiate ego.
Humility does not require you to give up your dignity. Many of the most dignified individuals are often the most humble.
Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.
C.S.Lewis
2) You can recognize when you are mistaken and correct yourself.
Recognizing and admitting your own mistakes can be challenging. One of the most significant impediments to advancement is our insistence on being correct. We aren’t. It’s fine to be certain of your knowledge and convinced of your ideas, but not to the point of being blind to your flaws.
Approaching life with humility makes you more aware and accepting of your mistakes, and it gives you the strength to pick yourself up and move on.
3) Humility fosters a desire to learn.
You’ll want to learn more if you have the humility to recognize how little you know. There is a wealth of material available, as well as numerous skills to learn. Your pride in what you already know provides little encouragement to delve deeper. However, contextualizing your awareness of the world and appreciating how far you still have to go fosters a healthy desire to learn more.
4) You can deal with criticism better.
When one is released from the prison of self… one cannot be imprisoned outwardly.
ʻAbdu’l-Bahá
When you are criticized, your ego suffers. Being humble allows you to reduce your impact.
Having the humility to accept that you aren’t good at everything and that you will make errors and learn from them as you go through life allows you to receive criticism, take what is useful from it, and reject the rest without it hurting you too much.
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5) Assists you in being patient with others
Humility entails accepting that you are not perfect but acknowledging your worth and ability to grow. When you realize this about yourself, you are more tolerant with others because you know they are going through the same hardships and challenges that you are.
Why pass judgment on others when you are imperfect as well? We need to be kinder to one another, and humility assists us in doing so.
6) You have the ability to positively affect others.
Influence is not facilitated by pride. If you want to make a lasting, positive impact on others as a manager, teacher, leader, or even a friend, you must exercise humility. You can be both confident and humble at the same time. That is very significant.
However, when you feel superior and push your beliefs, you are not assisting others in learning. Though you speak as if you’re the second coming, your remarks will have little impact. However, if you speak with care and humility, your message is more likely to be remembered.
7) You will accomplish more.
I’ve discovered that when I’ve spoken the most, I’ve acted the least. I’ve always had fantastic ideas and concepts, but I’ve never been particularly good at putting them into action. When I get caught up in telling folks about my future intentions or this new productive routine I’ve discovered, I end up feeling good about myself but not acting on it.
On the world’s tallest throne, we still sit just on our own bottom.
Montaigne, Michel
On the other side, I’ve succeeded when I’ve acted first and approached my goals and expertise with humility. Sharing your plans to demonstrate your knowledge or raise your ego usually does not yield anything. Keeping your head down and moving forward does.
8) Helps you stay grounded
Staying humble is key to happiness as you progress through life, becoming more prosperous and ascending the social ladder. Remember where you came from. Remember why you started this trip and the dreams you had.
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the pursuit and lose sight of what we genuinely desire in life. Being humble in your life path allows you to realize how far you’ve come and recall who you truly are.
9) Contributes to the advancement of the world
Life is about serving people and adding value to their lives. Being too focused on yourself and your personal benefit prevents you from seeing what you can contribute to society. We’d get nothing if everyone was solely concerned with themselves.
Losing yourself in the service of others is the finest way to find yourself.
Mahatma Gandhi
Great ideas, businesses, and services provide a solution to a problem or need. Being humble helps you to concentrate less about yourself and focus your energy and potential on helping the world progress.
10) Allows you to be present in the moment
Your ego is obsessed with the past for identity and addicted to the future for fulfillment. This keeps you from living in the present moment. To completely appreciate life’s blessings, you must live in the present moment, and every minute spent regretting the past or worrying about the future is a wasted moment.
Humility allows you to appreciate where you are now without becoming distracted by the constraints of tomorrow.
Final Words
A great man is always ready to belittle himself.
Ralph Waldo Emersonn
Humility provides perspective and ultimately leads to happiness.
When things are placed into perspective, you realize how insignificant you are in the great scheme of things. You are a speck in the vastness of the universe. Billions have come before you, and many more will follow.
It takes a lot of humility to accept this truth. However, this does not imply that you are a worthless soul who will perish one day. Seeing your life as a gift and a statistical miracle provides you even more incentive to enjoy it, as well as a profound sense of joy and thankfulness. What better incentive could there be to live a meaningful and happy life?
Humility is described as having a modest sense of one’s own importance. But it’s far more than that.
The majority of societal ills are based on ego and pride. War, corruption, racism, materialism, oppression, and other forms of oppression are all motivated by greed and self-interest. Nonetheless, we are all connected and are all trying to have a decent life.
Knowing who we are provides us with context. The only way forward is to recognize our oneness and the small role we each play in this game of life. It all starts with humility.
