Let’s get this out of the way first; Humility is not thinking less of yourself. True humility is thinking more about others than about yourself while not diminishing yourself. It is putting the focus on someone else, celebrating their strengths, and being patient with their limitations. It is the attitude best expressed by the American transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, “In my walks, every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.” Being able to recognize how each person we meet is superior to us, and being willing to learn from that is the essence of humility.
Humility is appreciating another for who they are and not who we think they should be or want them to be. When we do that, we give people the gift of our attention, and, like the interviewee on Oprah Winfrey’s couch, others blossom under the spotlight of that attention. Humble people intuitively recognize this. They approach others with kindness, love, and appreciation to bring out the best in others. Because the humble person knows that when we bring out the best in others, everyone benefits.
Strengths that accompany this virtue include caring and befriending others:
• Love
• Kindness
• Social intelligence
Humility is making others feel big without making yourself small. It is not thinking less of yourself, but just thinking about yourself less and others more. The humble person puts the spotlight on others while approaching them with respect and appreciation in the hopes that the other will bring out their best and make the world a little better for everyone.
