Humility
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Humility is the state of being humble. A humble person is generally thought to be unpretentious and modest: someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. Humility is not to be confused with humiliation, which is the act of making someone else feel ashamed, and is seen as something completely different.
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Humility in religion, spirituality, and philosophy
In religion and spirituality, humility is generally considered a positive value. In monotheistic religions, humility can be seen as a form of respect towards and acknowledgment of a supreme being.
Humility in Christianity
In Christianity, humility, or meekness, is seen as a virtue, encompassing three skills:
- yielding ones rights and possessions to God,
- earning the right to be heard rather than demanding a hearing, and
- responding properly to anger when others violate one's personal rights.
Amongst the benefits described (or claimed) in the Bible are honour, wisdom, eternal life, unity, rewards in heaven and others.
An example in the Bible is found in Philippians 2:1-17.
"If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all." (Philippians 2:1-17 KJV)
Other views of humility
Mahatma Gandhi is attributed as suggesting that attempting to sustain truth without humility is doomed to cause it to become instead an "arrogant caricature" of truth. [1] (http://www.geocities.com/rkvenkat/chastity.html) [2] (http://www.mkgandhi.org/epigrams/h.htm)
Some other schools of thought, such as Objectivism, have seen self-abasement as antithetical to morality.
Humility is considered an important virtue in taoism. The following quote describes how a wise person should see his accomplishments, according to the Tao Te Ching (77.4)
- [a wise person] acts without claiming the results as his; he achieves his merit and does not rest (arrogantly) in it: -- he does not wish to display his superiority.
Further reading
- Humility, by Andrew Murray. Revised by Harold J. Chadwick. ISBN 0-88270-854-6
External links
- Judaism's take on humility (Chabad.org) (http://www.chabad.org/search/keyword.asp?scope=6198&kid=229)
- Article called "How Much Space Do You Take?" on Aish.com (http://www.aish.com/spirituality/growth/Path_of_the_Soul_2__How_Much_Space_Do_You_Take%24.asp)
- World scripture: Quotes from religious texts about humility (http://www.unification.net/ws/theme128.htm)
- I'm glad that I'm a nobody: A positive psychology of humility (http://www.meaning.ca/articles/presidents_column/humility_nov03.htm)