There was a day when I believed humble meant self-effacing. Never stepping forward. And refusing leadership roles because, well, a humble person would never, ever believe themselves capable.

Wrong.

If I’d had a humbler attitude early on, I may have discovered the subtly of meaning and made better choices. How? By having the good sense to appear as if I didn’t know, because I didn’t understand many things.

How many of you have let what you don’t know lie while you fake it until you make it? I love that saying. But taken to extremes, faking whatever to save face leads to idiot mistakes.

Humility properly understood is balance in one’s assessment of self-importance, talents, and knowledge. There’s always room to learn. It’s the person who knows everything that stops learning. Translated: The person who believes he knows it all will never know more because his eyes and ears are firmly set against learning.

Not my idea???

Heaven forfend!

But humility also means accepting tasks for which you are equipped. False humility leads one to defer to others and fail to speak when one has a certain talent that’s integral to the wellbeing of others. To humbly accept being appointed to a position one may never have aspired to is a laudable act.

“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” Matthew 23:12

Translated: greatness comes from acknowledging our limitations and treating others with respect and kindness. It encourages us to let go of pride and arrogance, emphasizing the rewards that humility brings.

Have you ever shut down in the presence of a know it all?

If not, you’re more virtuous than me.

But in that instance, even a person with vast knowledge fails to transmit said knowledge because their delivery lacks humility. The know it all seeks to exalt himself, not help. That’s why some enjoy talking over people’s heads in order to maintain their sense of superiority. But the fall comes when the support structure all humans need to thrive is repelled. Wham. Who will prop up that ego now? The know it all may salve his conscience by laying blame elsewhere, but deep down, he or she knows.

If not, more’s the pity.

Humility is such an integral ingredient to wisdom that its extolled in other faiths:

The Quran – Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” Note that nobility isn’t tied to wealth, prowess, or prestige.

The Bhagavad Gita from Hindu tradition has this to say.  Chapter 13, Verse 8: “Humility, modesty, nonviolence, forgiveness, and integrity; these qualities must be practiced by one who desires to attain divine knowledge.”

In Taoism, the ancient Chinese philosophy, humility is considered a cornerstone of wisdom and virtue. The Tao Te Ching states in Verse 39, “The supreme goodness is like water. It benefits all things without contention. In dwelling, it stays grounded. In being, it flows to depths. In giving, it is kind. In speaking, it is sincere. In leading, it does not control. In work, it is competent. In action, it aligns with timing. It is content with its nature and therefore cannot be faulted.”

Roman emperor and class-A stoic Marcus Aurelius had this to say “The pride which is proud of want of pride is the most intolerable of all,” in his Meditations. The one who prides himself on being SO humble is obnoxious. And how right he was. He continues, “We ought to do good to others as simply as a horse runs, or a bee makes honey, or a vine bears grapes season after season without thinking of the grapes it has borne.”

Freed are from ego-driven obstacles, a person’s pathway is clear.

By embracing humility, we learn to acknowledge our imperfections. We appreciate the worth of others and approach life with a sense of openness and learning. As we strive to cultivate humility in our thoughts, words, and actions, we can experience personal growth. Humility fosters understanding and contributes to a more compassionate world.

“If you ask me what the essential thing in the religion and discipline of Jesus Christ is, I shall reply: first, humility; second, humility, and third, humility.”—St. Augustine