Humility: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 05:04, 8 November 2006

For the medieval saint of the same name, see Saint Humility.

Humility is a quality or characteristic ascribed to a person who is considered to be humble. A humble person is generally thought to be unpretentious and modest: someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. The concept of humility in various religions is often much more precise and extensive. Humility is not to be confused with humiliation, which is the act of making someone else feel ashamed, and is something completely different.

Humility in Christianity

In Christianity, humility is seen as annexed to the cardinal virtue of temperance as a potential part, because temperance includes all those virtues that refrain or express the inordinate movements of our desires or appetites.

The virtue of humility may be defined: "A quality by which a person considering his own defects has a lowly opinion of himself and willingly submits himself to God and to others for God's sake." St. Bernard defines it: "A virtue by which a man knowing himself as he truly is, abases himself." These definitions coincide with that given by St. Thomas Aquinas: "The virtue of humility", he says, "Consists in keeping oneself within one's own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one's superior" (Summa Contra Gent., bk. IV, ch. lv, tr. Rickaby).

Humility is said to be the foundation of the spiritual edifice, but in a sense inferior to that in which faith is called its foundation. Humility is the first virtue inasmuch as it removes the obstacles to faith -- per modum removens prohibens, as St. Thomas says. It removes pride and makes a man subject to and a fit recipient of grace according to the words of St. James: "God resisteth the proud, and giveth his grace to the humble" (James 4:6).

True humility must be differentiated from false humility. False humility consists of deprecating ones own sanctity, gifts, talents, and accomplishments for the sake of receiving praise or adulation from others.

Humility comprises the following behaviors and attitudes:

submission to God and legitimate authority
recognition of the virtues and talents that others possess, particularly those which surpass ones own, and giving due honor and, when required, obeisance
recognition of the limits of ones talents, ability, or authority; and, not reaching for that which is beyond ones grasp

The vices opposed to humility are: (A) pride (by reason or defect). (B) a too great obsequiousness or abjection of oneself, which would be an excess of humility; This might easily be derogatory to a man's office or holy character; or it might serve only to pamper pride in others, by unworthy flattery, which would occasion their sins of tyranny, arbitrariness, and arrogance. The virtue of humility may not be practiced in any external way which would occasion such vices or acts in others.

Amongst the benefits of humility described in the Bible are honour, wisdom, eternal life, unity, rewards in heaven and others. In the Bible, an exhortation to humility is found in Philippians 2:1-17:

"Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life." (Philippians 2:1-17 NLT)

Also in 1 Peter 2:23, concerning Jesus Christ's behavior in general and submission to unjust torture and execution in particular: "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly." (1 Peter 2:23 NIV)

Other views of humility

Mahatma Gandhi is attributed as suggesting that attempting to sustain truth without humility is doomed to cause it to become instead an "arrogant caricature" of truth. [1] [2]

Some other schools of thought, such as Objectivism, have seen self-abasement as antithetical to morality.

Humility is considered an important virtue in taoism. The following quote describes how a wise person should see his accomplishments, according to the Tao Te Ching (77.4)

[a wise person] acts without claiming the results as his; he achieves his merit and does not rest (arrogantly) in it: -- he does not wish to display his superiority.

Nietzsche wrote of humility (not to speak of patience, wisdom, and any other virtue lauded widely by the masses) as a weakness, a false virtue which concealed the frailties and hidden crookedness in its holder.

His idealized ubermensch, his blond beast, would be more apt to roam around unfettered by pretensions of humility, proud of his stature and power, but not revelling idly in it, and certainly not displaying hubris.

Humor and humility

A telling old Jewish joke shows the other side of humility. In the village synagogue, during the High Holydays, the rabbi prostrates himself on the floor, saying, "God, before You I am nothing." Immediately the richest man in town prostrates himself on the floor, saying, "God, before You I am nothing." Right after that the town beggar prostrates himself on the floor, saying, "God, before You I am nothing." The rich man whispers to the rabbi,"Look who thinks he's nothing."

References

Al-Munajjid, Sheikh Muhammad Saleh. Islam Q&A Website."Different kinds of humility". Retrieved April, 5, 2006.
Sister Huda. 19/11/1998. About.com Website."Humility". Retrieved April, 5, 2006.
Catholic Encyclopedia. [3]

External links

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 : [a wise person] acts without claiming the results as his; he achieves his merit and does not rest (arrogantly) in it: -- he does not wish to display his superiority.
-[[Nietzsche]] wrote of humility (not to speak of patience, wisdom, and any other virtue lauded widely by the masses) as a weakness, a false virtue which concealed the frailties and hidden crookedness in its holder. His idealized ubermensch, his blond beast, would be more apt to roam around unfettered by pretensions of humility, proud of his stature and power, but not revelling idly in it, and certainly not displaying [[hubris]].
+[[Nietzsche]] wrote of humility (not to speak of [[patience]], [[wisdom]], and any other [[virtue]] lauded widely by the [[humanity|masses]]) as a [[weakness]], a [[false virtue]] which concealed the [[frailty|frailties]] and hidden [[deception|crookedness]] in its holder.
+His idealized ubermensch, his blond beast, would be more apt to roam around unfettered by pretensions of humility, proud of his stature and power, but not revelling idly in it, and certainly not displaying [[hubris]].
 ===Humor and humility===