Lessons for Life: How to be Humble

Our culture says that humility is a virtue.

However, we often fail to apply the concept in our own lives.

Some of us look for aggressiveness in our children. We think that it will help them to succeed in life. It also will make you proud when your son scores a touchdown or makes the All State debate team.

But have you noticed that some of the greatest athletes are humble, that some of the greatest intellects are humble, and that some of the greatest leaders are humble?

What! Your culture doesnt say that humility is a virtue?

Try this if you are Jewish or Christian:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chr. 7:14

Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Prov. 16: 19

And the mean man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled: Isa. 5: 15

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matt. 18: 4

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matt. 23: 12

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4: 10

Here is one from the Koran:

Surely (as to) those who believe and do good and humble themselves to their Lord, these are the dwellers of the garden, in it they will abide. The Holy Prophet 11.23

Go to http://www.unification.net/ws/theme128.htm to study what the worlds religions say about humility and being humble.

Here is a Native American tradition:

The Lamenter [who is seeking a vision] cries, for he is humbling himself, remembering his nothingness in the presence of the Great Spirit. Native American Religions. Black Elk, Sioux Tradition

Here is a Mormon scripture:

Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers. D&C 112:10

There is something about being a benevolent and humble person that exceeds the expectations of the angry core of our crocodilian being. We have that great urge to survive, to remove or run from threats, to grab food wherever we can find it, to reproduce, to fight when bored, to grovel in our minds.

When we find a humble person eager to share what he or she has, we are surprised and then pleased.

Why do I combine benevolence with humility? Because they go hand-in-hand dont they? A humble person gives his or her soul to God and serves others not expecting any earthly reward.

Here is an opinion that Ive had for many years: The most effective leaders and the best leaders are benevolent. This applies to religious leaders, of course, but it equally applies to business executives.

Does being humble drop your self esteem?

I dont think so. It simply places you in the scheme of things now and in the hereafter. You no longer have to think of yourself being the brightest, cleverest, strongest, best looking person in the world.

If you are rich it will diminish the fact and you will become more benevolent. You will seek wisdom more than riches and you will govern your affairs with dignity and honor.

A humble person can take bad luck much better than a person less humble.

I have noticed over the years that people from poor straights can take a loss better than a more wealthy person or a person of higher social status. They expect bad luck and they can cope with it.

Humility is the beginning of knowledge.

If you say that you know nothing about the fauna of Egypt but would like to know about it, you are on your way to gaining knowledge. You will feed your mind and you will be grateful for that knowledge and you will seek more knowledge.

If you say that you know nothing about a subject and you have no desire to learn more because you are afraid that you might not understand the knowledge you receive, you will be miserable if you dont even try to gain such knowledge. You are suffering from low esteem not humility. A humble person says that one will do the best one can to learn.

A humble person will do what he can to serve others.

A humble person will search for wisdom.

A humble person will be grateful for all he receives.

A humble person will recognize that he knows little but can learn much more.

A humble person will not be aggressive to others.

A humble person will take care of his family and give them support in all that they do.

A humble person will love God and recognize that God will lead him to truth and knowledge.

The End

Humility, humble, religions, world, Bible, Koran, native American, world religions, culture, God, benevolence, benevolent, living, ethics, morals, leadership

John T Jones, Ph.D.

Jones was a vice president of a Fortune 500 company subsidiary having the major responsibility for research and development and certain engineering functions. After he retired, he became editor of an international trade magazine. Jones is Executive Representative of IWS, sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He is a direct mail and mail order marketer and operates a dozen websites.

He has written three technical books, four novels (Bull, Revenge on the Mogollon Rim, Bone China, and In No Way Guilty), and many published papers on business, marketing, engineering and other topics. Details on many of these topics can be found at his personal web site.

Jones is a hack poet and amateur landscape painter. He lives in Idaho with his wife of 52 years. He has five children, three in medicine, a lawyer, and a portrait artist. The Jones’ have thirty-two talented grandchildren (many with special musical talent and skills), and one great grand child.

Jones is a prolific writer which started when he was an engineering professor at Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!). He doesn’t know how to stop.