The World-Changing Value of Humility
hu·mil·i·ty
a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness.
Humility is an incredibly important moral virtue, but one that is of the utmost difficulty to obtain. Every person has selfishness and pride inside of them, and it can be argued that these traits are a part of our evolutionary biology: “In the new study, the researchers underscore the evolutionary importance of pride. Because it proved to be so beneficial to the survival of our ancestors, they argue, pride is built into our species’ biology” (“Evolution Study Shows Why Feeling Proud is Key to Human Survival”).
Acting humble and selfless is extremely hard, but it is worth the effort. Humility is morally, religiously, socially, and personally valuable, and it has the ability to change the world.
The Virtue of Humility
"Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues."
Confucius
There’s a general consensus around the idea that it’s a good thing to be humble, but why is it such a good thing?
For starters, humility is directly tied to selflessness, because humble people are more focused on helping and loving others than focusing on themselves. This connects with kindness, compassion, charity, and many other clearly good and moral virtues.
A paper titled (“Modesty and Humility”) from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy talks about why humility is virtuous: “Others have found it virtuous because of the non-religious good effects it produces, like combating jealousy and making social interactions run more smoothly. Others locate the source of its virtuousness in the underlying attitude it manifests, things like kindness and concern for others. Still others argue that it is virtuous because it is a fitting response to certain morally relevant features of the world like the equal moral status of all people.”
Humility is also important in understanding the individual and the world.
The same Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy paper (“Modesty and Humility”) says that “Modesty and humility are ways that we relate to ourselves, to our own goodness and limitations. It involves placing ourselves among others and in the world at large. Immodest people have, among other things, an inflated sense of themselves, their accomplishments, and their place in the world.”
Intellectual humility is another important philosophical virtue, dating all the way back to Socrates: “Socrates was unique in possessing the virtue of intellectual humility. His wisdom was derived from his ability to recognize the limits of his own knowledge, and use this as the starting point for genuine enquiry” (“Intellectual Humility”).
Does humility mean a lack of confidence?
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less.”
Rick Warren
Humility can be a confusing virtue. Acting with humility can easily be mixed up with self-depreciation. Humility also may seem to contradict confidence, something today’s culture is focused on and puts on a pedestal. This isn’t true though; you can absolutely be humble and confident at the same time because they aren’t opposites, although there is a thin line between being confident and being overly prideful.
con·fi·dence
the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.
The truth is, confidence doesn’t mean to brag about yourself or think you are better than somebody else. Rather, it means you believe in yourself and your abilities, and this is a great thing.
Being humble doesn’t mean you don’t trust and believe in yourself. It simply means that you don’t consider yourself inherently better or more valuable than others, and you aren’t self-centered. Humility also means presenting yourself with modesty and respecting others.
What is the significance of humility in major world religions and their teachings?
Humility, like many moral virtues, is a focal point of major world religions. In a religious context, “humility is the virtue that restrains the movement of the mind towards some excellence, particularly restraining the mind from thinking one is greater than one truly is before God. Simply put, humility is the disposition to accept our impoverished dependence upon God” (“The Virtue of Humility”).
Humility is a common thread throughout Christianity and is considered an incredibly important and honorable virtue: “The Christian tradition unequivocally affirms that humility is a virtue. Christians did not invent humility as a virtue ― it is there in the Hebrew scriptures already ― but Christian scripture and subsequent Christian thought put humility at the centre of the moral life in an unprecedented way” (“Humility: The beginning and end of the virtues”).
“Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””
1 Peter 5:5 (The Bible)
In addition to Christianity, Islam says that “Humility is equivalent to submission to Allah. We should abandon all selfishness and pride in our human power, and stand humbled, meek, and submissive as servants of Allah above all else” (“How Is Humility Important in Islam?”).
“Successful indeed are the believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers…” Al-Muminoon 23:1-2 (The Quran)
So many more religions preach the importance of humility, including Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, and Hinduism.
The social and relational value of humility
Humility shifts mindset, so this obviously has psychological impacts on many areas including social competencies: “...our study showed that humility had a significant positive effect on emotional and social competencies, including self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management” (“The effect of humility on emotional and social competencies: The mediating role of judgment”).
A specific social aspect humility positively impacts is friendships: “When we refuse to humble ourselves and admit our faults and allow our friends to help us carry our burdens, we do not allow ourselves to open up to friendships. There is no room in genuine friendship for "social climbing" or for concerns about reputation or power. When we hide our faults, when we refuse to lower ourselves and be vulnerable, we replace genuine friendship with semi-acquainted proximity” (“Humility In Friendship”).
Humility can positively impact friendships, and it can also impact romantic relationships: “Being vulnerable and showing humility to a romantic partner can allow for better communication and trust to develop in the relationship…humble individuals are more likely to admit their faults, apologize, and practice forgiveness than an individual who is boastful or who is a narcissist” (“How Practicing Humility Can Help Your Love Life”).
Humility is also really useful in leadership and “humble leaders are considered more approachable, forgiving of mistakes, and willing to acknowledge others' work, which can motivate employees to share ideas and work harder” (“It's Not Hard to Be Humble: The Role of Humility in Leadership”). And if you aren’t in a leadership position, “humble followers, collectively, create a positive team climate with a focus on group performance and goals, greater collaboration, and potentially increased creativity and idea sharing” (“The Role of Humility in Team Performance”).
Why humility is essential for personal growth
There are countless ways humility can help you as an individual, including social relationships. But beyond this, humility is essential for personal growth.
Humility is necessary to improve yourself in work or school because “Humble people are willing to see themselves accurately and appreciate feedback” (“Why being humble is so important in the world of work”). A lack of humility makes it extremely difficult to receive feedback because it’s impossible to imagine a need for improvement.
Humility allows you to strengthen other moral virtues and it absolutely leads to more kindness, love, and compassion, which are of the utmost importance in order to be the best version of yourself.
An article titled “11 Reasons To Be More Humble” gives many great benefits of humility such as greater patience, productivity, and overall happiness. All the reasons listed in this article are essential to personal growth.
Without a doubt humility is important and something every person should strive for, but it can be hard to know just how to do that. Thankfully, there are many online resources that provide tips and clear steps on how to be more humble.
The article “13 Habits of Humble People” gives clear examples of how humble people act in their day-to-day lives. This also may help you recognize humble people in your life, and learning and observing the way they live can help you as well.
“10 Ways To Be More Humble In Life” is an article that gives clear and actionable steps on how to exercise humility. These steps are around gratitude, listening, focusing on others, and many other important things.
The world-changing value of humility
“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”
Saint Augustine
Humility is so important within morality, religion, social relationships, and personal growth. Most importantly, humility has the ability to transform the world.
Today’s world and culture are drifting away from humility. There is so much division, pride, and selfishness in the world, and this all stems from a lack of humility. In addition to this, today’s culture puts a large focus on the self: doing what’s best for yourself and putting yourself before others. All this causes a lack of general kindness, compassion, and focus on others.
Solving all these problems is a daunting task, but it begins with each individual putting in the effort to live in humility. Acts of humility may seem unimportant considering all that’s going on in the world, but humility’s impacts have world-changing value.
Written by Peyton Price - Entertainment Values
