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Practicing humility is important -- while you may have a greater understanding in some areas, others will always be able to teach you something. The notion of humility as a virtue brings numerous images to
mind. We tend to envision those rare individuals who humbly bear life's
struggles while downplaying their own strengths. Yet humility is also
associated with people whose insecurities compel them to judge themselves
unfavorably 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. This means that while you may have a greater understanding in
some areas, others will always be able to teach you something. 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.
When you practice humility, you want to become as accomplished and evolved as
you can possibly be, yet you are willing to submit to the expertise of others
to do so. You understand the scope of your aptitudes yet you choose to
eradicate arrogance from your attitude, and you can distinguish the value you
possess as an individual while still acting in the interests of your fellow
human beings. 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.
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