The notion of humility as a virtue brings to mind visions those rare individuals who humbly bear life's struggles, whilst downplaying their own strengths. Yet humility is also associated with people whose insecurities compel them to judge themselves unfavourably as a matter of course. The true definition of humility, however, does not correspond precisely with either of these images.
Humility is not passivity. Rather, it is an utter lack of self-importance. The individuals who embody the concept of humility appreciate that each human being on the planet occupies a unique place on an infinite spectrum of development. Though they can take pride in their own accomplishments, they also understand that the people they interact with each day are as valuable and have as much to offer the world as they themselves do.
To be humble is to accept that while there will always be individuals more and less advanced than yourself, those on all parts of the spectrum of development can provide you with insights that further your personal evolution. Recognizing these insights is a matter of opening yourself to the fact that not only do others think and feel differently than you, but their life experiences have shaped them in a very different way than yours have shaped you. When you cultivate a genuine yearning to know what skills and talents those you encounter have been blessed with, you cannot help but learn humility. You instinctively understand that emotions like envy breed resistance that prevents you from growing, and that being flexible in your interactions with others will help you connect with unexpected mentors.
Humility, simply put, is a form of balance in which you can celebrate your own worth, while sincerely believing that every other person on the planet is just as worthy as you.
My Thoughts:
Jumping on a well-used concept … everyone has their own voice.
One of the things that I think is truly lacking in society today is the notion that having the time to listen, is as important as getting things done. This is epitomised within the care of the elderly and those with metal health issues.
Caring is too often considered a money-making enterprise, were targets and statistics rule. Those that provide the service on the ground level get frustrated because they are often no longer allowed the time to spend with people just to chat, and those on the receiving end suffer as a result.
As a home carer for the local council I visited a lady who would get herself up an hour early and struggle alone to wash and dress herself as best she could, just so that we would have more time to talk. She used to get a midday visit to give her some lunch, but in a bid to save money it was deemed that the morning staff would make her sandwiches and leave them in the fridge for her, along with a cold drink. So, I was the only person she saw during the day, until the evening staff came to get her ready for bed. As far as she was concerned, she would rather have stayed in her nightdress all day just so she could have a little more conversation time. It is no different in a lot of care homes, as cut-backs in staff mean that the few that are on duty have more to do and less time to socialise with the residents.
The importance of recording oral history is widely appreciated, so I think it is such as shame that cost-efficiency and profit are so often put so high on the agender that the actual people concerned are overlooked. Who the people are, what they have done and the experiences they have had, seem to no longer matter as that cannot be recorded in the box-ticking exercises that are so prevalent in today’s society. Thank goodness for volunteers that plug the gap for many, but it really shouldn’t be that way.