On Humility

Humility – a 14th century word from the Latin humilitas

Humility – a state of being humble

Humility – a modest opinion of one’s self-importance

Humility – demureness, down-to-earthness, humbleness, lowliness, meekness, modesty, submissiveness

Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. (C. S. Lewis, novelist)

I claim to be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own, however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to retrace my steps. (Mahatma Gandhi, leader)

Humility and knowledge in poor clothes excel pride and ignorance in costly attire. (William Penn, statesman)

I don’t have a set of tenets, but I live an ethical life. I practice a humility that presupposes there’s a power greater than myself. And I always believe, don’t inflict harm where it’s not necessary. (Michael J. Fox, actor)

If I could I would always work in silence and obscurity, and let my efforts be known by their results. (Emily Brontë, author)

Personally, I rather look forward to a computer program winning the world chess championship. Humanity needs a lesson in humility. (Richard Dawkins, scientist)

I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men. (Lao Tzu, philosopher)

What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself. (Abraham Lincoln, U.S. President)

Consider the rights of others before your own feelings, and the feelings of others before your own rights. (John R. Wooden, college basketball coach)

Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us, or somebody who says everything in this book must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved? (Carl Sagan, scientist)

Enjoy this video with more wisdom from Carl Sagan about humility.

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On Humanity and Humility

Each day of human life is filled with many things, both good and bad; mountains and mole hills, triumphs and tragedies; joys and sorrows.

Blogs are an interesting place not only to learn about topics, events, views, and opinions, it’s also a place to see how all of us get caught up in our own micro-world of life perspectives. After all, we know so little while there is so much to learn.

Humanity offers many different characters, some are good while others bad; some with who we agree while disagreement reigns with others; some who we respect, yet we despise others; some to who we go the extra mile to approach, yet others we intentionally ignore; let alone the haves and the have nots.

On the other hand, humility recognizes both our own faults and encourages us to accept others. A call to accept those who are different, the ones with whom we disagree, despise, and see as different.

So there we have it – two human fundamentals, humanity and humility, in both cooperation and conflict with each other – every day in each of us – but at different degrees within each of us.

To me, this 3-minute Carl Sagan perspective is both timeless and powerful. In this I hear so much about humanity, yet I feel humility as it humbles and overwhelms me. Numerous versions of this video exist, but this one allows each of us to form our own applicable images to accompany our thoughts.

Enjoy and blessings to all.

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