Most people understand that humility is a virtue, or at least, that’s what we like to imagine. We think positively about the person who downplays their accomplishments and shares the credit with others even if they’ve achieved astronomical feats, and we tend to appreciate those who know how to dress, but not too over-the-top or “loudly” in public, even though there’s nothing wrong with expressing yourself as much as possible.
However, so much of what we see on social media, in the celebrity world, and even in the themes of popular music is so anti-humility it’s hard to think this way sometimes. We tend to dislike those who are in-your-face and overly braggadocious because those who are grounded tend to be more relatable, interesting, and down-to-earth.
But humility isn’t always something you’re perfect at, after all, who doesn’t like to be complimented, praised, validated, and even celebrated? In this post, we’ll discuss not only how to practice humility, but why doing so can be healthy and very beneficial to the spirit as well:
Humility Gives You Perspective
It’s hard to argue against humility giving you perspective. After all, it’s very easy to be loud about who you are and what you do, only to see someone in a much harder situation do their best with less, and wonder exactly why you were drawing so much attention to yourself. The silent heroes that contribute to the world around us, from the paramedic to the engineer to the charity support worker, sometimes it’s good to learn more about others than tell them about yourself. After all, that’s why we only have one mouth and two ears, to listen twice as much as we can and to respect those around us in the spirit of healthy cooperation and friendship.
Humility Helps You Disconnect
Let’s face it, there’s a great deal of superfluous silliness out there. From caring about which celebrity couple is breaking up to whatever Elon Musk is doing with Twitter to arguments about the latest blockbuster and its political themes, sometimes it’s good to disconnect from the constant discourse and let yourself relax. This heps you regain clarity of thought which can often be super-distracted otherwise. It will also give you time to focus on what really matters, like connection with family members and friends, reading, or if you follow, perhaps prioritzing your faith like Father Adam Park. When you disconnect, you actually connect more than you know.
Humility Is Self-Validating
Many people think that humility is the art of simply depriving yourself of the validation of others, as if this is the price you have to pay for being a better person. But the truth is that true humility doesn’t need all that external validation, only that approval from the people the humble person cares about. It’s also about approving of yourself, which is the basis of self-love and can allow you to enjoy a more stable identity and a more resilient personality. So, you’re not really missing out at all to be humble, you just focus on that which matters.
With this advice, you’re sure to practice the healthy art of humility by considering and adopting worthwhile insights.