“I have three treasures which I preserve and treasure. The first is compassion, the second is frugality, the third is daring not to be first in the world.”
—Lao Tzu
After familiarizing ourselves with virtue, why it’s important, and getting a general overview of our chosen seven, it’s time to dive deeper into each one. For the month of October, we will begin with humility, or humbleness. Humility is, in many ways, foundational to all other virtues. Novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch says that “the humble man…is not by definition a good man [but] perhaps he is the kind of man who is most likely of all to become good.” But what exactly does it mean to be humble? Our motto for humility is:
Humility corrects our natural propensity to overestimate ourselves—valuing ourselves more than we value others—by showing us how to estimate ourselves properly: seeing oneself not as the center of the universe, but in light of all the other beings in the world and across time. We are humble because we know that we aren’t the only ones who matter. We see ourselves as valuable, but also as one small part of a larger story.
“Humility heals us and our relationship with others—by providing a bridge where we see others as possessing the same kind of value we ascribe to ourselves”
—Virtues: A Very Short Introduction
Have you ever found yourself looking up at a vast sky full of stars? Or singing wholeheartedly along to a favorite song in a concert hall full of strangers? These sorts of big moments, when we forget ourselves even momentarily, remind us that we become something greater when we recognize ourselves as one small part of the human race—one voice, one mind, and one heart that matters but also exists alongside many other voices and minds and hearts that matter just as much.
Another way of looking at virtue is to look at what it leads to and what it’s not. In this case, humility leads to the offshoot virtues of gentleness and gratitude. Meanwhile, virtues are in contrast to their vices, one in excess and one in lack—living between these two is a concept known as the Golden Mean. Here, humility is opposed to thinking of oneself too lowly (self-abasement) and thinking of oneself too highly (pride, or arrogance).
So what makes a humble person? Here’s a short (non-comprehensive) list!
- Humble people see their own shortcomings and admit mistakes.
- Humble people recognize that there are so many good things in life that don’t come from themselves.
- Humble people know how much they don’t know.
- Humble people learn from others.
- Humble people serve others.
Three exemplars from history who model humility are Socrates, Jesus, and Albert Einstein. Ready to start practicing living the good life with them? Let’s look to our exemplars for some advice on how to begin our practice:
Here is a quick 3-minute video giving an overview of Humility. Watch with your littles to help them join the conversation about what humility is and develop humbleness in their lives!
Don’t forget! There is a whole Virtues Field Guide (linked in our Parent Portal) that dives deep into virtue—read the section on Humility on pages 8-11 (pay special attention to the “Practices to Cultivate Humility” on page 10 for ways to implement at home!). Also, purchase posters here to remind yourselves of these virtues every day!
