by Charles Barnard
Be humble. How do you see the word humble? Do see someone who is strong and self-assured or insecure and weak? Sadly, I agree with June Tangney, Professor of Psychology who acknowledged that the layman’s view of being humble often tends to be negative. People often use descriptors such as unimportant, lacking self-esteem, having a sense of insignificance, unworthiness, or dependence with the word humble. Like the word meek, which I wrote about in another article, we simply do not understand what the word truly represents and why it is considered a virtue the world over.
The four major religious worldviews – Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism – all teach that humility is a virtue. Those religions cover 76% of the world’s population and play a significant role in the cultures of the east and west. Secular humanism, atheism, agnosticism, and naturalism, which all tend to identify as non-religious, has had a significant impact on changing western culture in particular, and their view of humility is less clear cut in part because of the influence philosopher David Hume has had in that worldview. Hume famously offered philosophical critique of humility and pride in the context of the Christian view of each of those character traits. From our perspective at looking at what makes great leaders and successful individuals humility definitely is a virtue.
June Tangney has been on the record for arguing that humility was hard to study for psychologists because “until relatively recently, there was no widely accepted definition of humility among psychologists.”[1] If you cannot define a concept it becomes very difficult to measure it and then study it. When she and her students begin a review of the literature on just what humility was there were key ideas that emerged. These ideas included the ability to accurately assess your own abilities and achievements. Secondly, humble people demonstrated a willingness to acknowledge mistakes, limited knowledge as well as other personal limitations. Third, humble people were open to new ideas, to contradictory information, and advice. Fourth, humble people don’t place much focus on themselves. Their focus is more on the outside instead of me and how events reflect on me. Fifth, humble people tend to keep their abilities and accomplishments in perspective. They understand that even if they may be very accomplished in one area, other people are also very accomplished in the same area, and there are other things that we don’t do very well at all. Finally, humble people tend to have appreciate and see all people as having worth. They believe everyone has unique gifts and talents, even if they don’t match our own.[2]
Psychologists, philosophers, and theologians who study humility will often debate the issue of pride alongside humility. Humility and pride are not exactly opposites, but they are often regarded as opposites. The type of pride we are talking about here is the idea that a person is full of themselves or over-estimates their importance. The parable Jesus tells as a warning about pride is the story of an individual who is invited to a banquet. Jesus warns not to take a seat of honor in case the host has already reserved that seat for another and that person who self-selected a seat of honor is forced to move in full view of everyone else. Because that individual thought too highly of themselves they ended up dealing with the humbling and humiliating experience of having to give up their seat to someone else. Unquestionably, that warning packs powerful imagery of what pride can do to someone.
In contrast, there is another connotation of pride which bears discussing. When you discuss pride, you should also consider the notion of showing pride in your appearance or pride in your work. In this context, pride is not about thinking too highly of yourself, but caring enough about your reputation and good name that you are careful to present yourself positively in your appearance, manners, and work done. You can show pride in this manner without thinking too highly of yourself. Certainly, you can take pride in your appearance and work while still recognizing that those things have nothing to do with your station in life, and also understanding that your station in life has nothing to do with your worth has a person. Again, the Christian belief that we were all created in the image of God is paramount in instilling the idea of humility instead of pridefulness where pridefulness refers to thinking too highly of yourself.
When people live a life of humility, they can connect with people of all walks of life because they never put themselves above anyone. Connecting to all kinds of people, humble people become excellent leaders. Humble people not only have people willing to follow them, but they are also willing to be followers when appropriate. Humility is a virtue. Humility is one of the key character traits of one who exhibits faithfulness.
[1] Tangney, June. “Scientific Study of Humility.” Biola’s Center for Christian
Thought, Biola University, 13 July 2017, cct.biola.edu/
scientific-study-humility-june-tangney/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2022.
[2] Ibid
