What are your beliefs? How has it shaped you?
/Humility…
What is the resistance that one feels when they are told to be humble? Why is it viewed as
weakness? Is there an innate pride one possesses that is conflicted when such instructions are
given? What did our ancestors know about humility that caused them to value this way of
being? What was the philosophy behind it? Why in my years of development did I hate this
word so?
I had this mental battle going on where I wanted to be obedient to the teachings of Jesus the
Christ, but didn’t like the ideology that came across as being weak. I became furious when I was
told that I had to think myself to be less than others for the sake of preferring my brother, not to
mention the turn-the-other-cheek philosophy. I would often think to myself, let me get this
straight if someone slaps me, not only am I not to slap them back or defend myself, I actually
have to turn my face as in gesturing to say, “Here you can slap this cheek too?” Wait a minute I
thought, something is wrong with this picture.
Gratefully, I later learned that being humble carries a much greater connotation. I learned as I
grew into new stages of life that humility carries different meanings for various people. I began
to obtain a different understanding. I learned that possessing humble characteristics is far more
dignified if you will, and rewarding. In fact, studies have shown that people with this trait
outperform those that lack it. People with humility outperformed in areas such as academia and
in the workplace, they even become great leaders. The studies also discovered that people who
have this trait are more trusting, more forgiving, and have better social relationships (Austin,
2012).
The focus here is on the beliefs we have adopted? Has it positively or negatively impacted your
life? Do you even know the answer to the question? In my journey of life, I discovered a new
found freedom and balance of humility that was not afforded me in my earlier development.
Both experiences, however, have helped me avoid a narcissistic attitude, and embrace an
an empathetic way of being.
Living the transcended life…
In order to live a transcended life, there are core beliefs that even at the depth of your learning
may have to be un-adopted. Living a transcended life is a life of freedom from bondage that
you unwittingly accepted. Albrecht (2015) explains my freedom best, “Humility is about
emotional neutrality. It involves an experience of growth in which you no longer need to put
yourself above others, but you don’t put yourself below them, either. Everyone is your peer –
from the most “important” person to the least. You’re just as valuable as every other human
being on the planet, no more and no less. It’s about behaving and reacting from purposes, not emotions.
You learn to simply disconnect or de-program the competitive reflex in situations
where it's not productive” (Albrecht, 2015).
Additional blogs on this topic:
1. How humble are you? https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/understand-other-people/201605/how-humble-are-you