HUMILITY or MODESTY . . . A strength or weakness?

HUMILITY or MODESTY . . . A strength or weakness?

“True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing” SOCRATES.

To know more and still feel incomplete is called Humility. Every person you meet knows something you don’t. Knowledge and love reside in the homes where the nameplate bears – Humility or Modesty.

Humility is the quality of not thinking that you are better than another person. That doesn’t mean that you feel less of yourself, but that thinking of yourself less is humility.

A person who admits his mistakes and tries to make amends is the most powerful person in the world. It is the highest level of self-respect. Humility gives you that strength and opens the scope for improvement.

‘Be gentle to be bold. Be frugal to be liberal. Avoid putting yourself before others, and you can become a leader.’

Humility or Modesty teaches you to lose. But there is a win, even in a loss. Underplaying yourself doesn’t mean that you have nourished someone’s ego, thus losing. It is your strength that reveals and unsheaths spectacular results later on.

“She stoops to conquer”, the famous eighteenth-century play written by Oliver Goldsmith, exemplifies the stance of the protagonist Lady who stoops to overshadow her real self and wins the Prince’s heart in the process, just by her Humility and profound Modesty.

Even the most noteworthy leaders in world history conquered hearts by being humble and displaying humility towards peoples’ attitudes and expectations. Ego nurtures arrogance and autocracy. The world has seen many Hitlers and Mussolinis who preached egotism and fostered tyranny. Humility is a superpower in leadership. There have been rulers who had an enormous curiosity about what people wanted from them. They had the authenticity and confidence to put out their anxieties and find answers to rule the hearts, not the land.

“True humility is staying teachable, regardless of how much you already know.”

People become great not because of their superiority or power but because of their aptitude to empower others. Empowerment comes from humility, not ego.

Humility or Modesty are nurtured at home. Children, while growing, see and imbibe their parents’ and elders’ attitudes towards domestic help and weaker sections. Humility is shown in daily conduct. It is undoubtedly not genetically oriented, but sure enough, spirituality plays a role in making a person humble and modest. Parents should teach their children to make an effort to make a difference in the lives of others – not to become important to themselves. It is a feeling that has to be sensed in the heart – It is not something you show off. You become great by being willing to be small.

Richness, prosperity, popularity, education or perfection doesn’t assure a life lived meaningfully. It’s about being realistic, humble and being able to share with others and touch others’ lives that add to meaning and purpose in life. Our strength lies in self-control, and calmness is our mastery. Insignificant actions of others should not affect our mood, attitude or our commitment to being humble. Emotions should not overpower our intelligence or our ability to be modest.

‘I am humble enough to know I am not better than anyone else but wise enough to know I am different – A mistake that makes me humble is better than an achievement that makes me arrogant.’

A humble person can be anxious about . . .

*What is correct than about being right.

*Acting on good notions rather than having good philosophies.

*Accepting the truth rather than shielding outdated concepts.

*Resurrecting a team rather than self-promotion.

*Acknowledging others’ contributions rather than being adulated for making them.

A humble man is not frightened of disappointment. He is not scared of anything — not even himself. He believes in the power of God, which is His true faith

“Stay true to the dark and humble in the spotlight.”

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