Humility - drop your ego

Humility is the quality of having a modest or low view of one's importance.

Antonym for humility is pride.  I prefer the word ego (pun unintended).

Ego is a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance.

Definitions: courtesy online dictionary.

Humility is perceived differently by different people.

Tangible manifestation of humility or ego

The way one appears...

People are unaffected when they see other people live in accordance with their means - rich or poor.  They take it in their stride with the underlying perception being, "They deserve it."

But they are offended with other people who live much beyond their means and call them ostentatious.

Likewise, they are impressed with other people who live much below their means and call them humble:
  • When one can afford to travel first class but choses to travel economy.
  • When one can afford to drive a Ferrari but choses to drive a Fiat.
  • When one can afford haute couture but choses to wear khadi.
You get the drift right?

The way one expresses...

People are impressed with other people who express their 'humility' through their body language, verbal language and other forms of expression.
  • When one stands with lowered head and folded arms or when one sits on the edge of the seat with tucked in uncrossed legs or when one walks around tentatively with measured steps.
  • When applauded, one adorns the namaste posture or says something equivalent of, "All glory to God" or "Oh! It's not just me.  It's teamwork."
  • When one speaks or writes, one uses the phrases, "I humbly submit" or "By God's grace" or uses more of "We" than "I".
My favorite quip is, "When I say I am humble, I am not." 😊

The way one works...

People are impressed with other people who appear to work less for themselves and more for others.
  • When one's work appears to deliver profitable outcomes to oneself or to the 'corporate' that one works for, in spite of meeting the needs and aspirations of the targeted segment and operating in the most efficient and effective manner, one is perceived to be self-centered.
  • When one's work appears to deliver socially beneficial outcomes to the 'vulnerable', in spite of not meeting the needs and aspirations of the targeted segment and operating in the least efficient and effective manner, one is perceived to be noble.
  • If one's work appears to deliver 'redemption' from the 'miseries' of life, irrespective of any tangible or intangible outcomes, one is perceived to be divine.
And I have observed that the 'humility' factor is inversely proportional to the 'perception' factor - the more self-centered one's work is, the more 'apologetic' one is, the more noble one's work is, the more 'prideful' one is and the more divine one's work is, the more 'Godly' one is.

Intangible manifestation of humility or ego

The way one thinks...

When engaging with oneself, is this how one thinks?

Am I looking good?  Am I feeling good?  Am I the best?  Do I have all the best things in life?

When engaging with others, is this how one thinks?

'What's in it for me?' instead of 'How can I help?'; 'Am I expressing myself well?' instead of 'Am I listening to others well?'; 'Am I winning?' instead of 'Are we all winning?'

One's thinking pattern emanates from one's paradigms and that's where the real challenge to humility is.

The way one perceives...

Now, I chose to make a very bold statement:

Any which way I define myself is my ego.

What?  Yes.

The moment I define myself as this - I am a vegetarian, I am a man, I am a Tamil, I am a Hindu, I am an Indian and so on, I am excluding those who are not this.  Unconsciously, I build a fence around me and nurture the perception that others are 'different' - either inferior or superior.  

My paradigm is my ego. 

The way one truly is...

When one questions one paradigms, understands principles, sheds faulty paradigms and aligns with principles, one is connected to the Source.

When one realizes that the principles control the consequences of one's actions, one lovingly surrenders to the Source of all principles.

I wish to share a verse from This is my prayer to thee my lord extracted from Gitanjali written by Rabindranath Tagore:

And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.

True humility begins here...

Again, I wish to share few verses from Where the mind is without fear extracted from Gitanjali written by Rabindranath Tagore:

And true humility is infused into...

Our paradigms...

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habits;

Our thoughts...

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action-

Our work...

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Our expressions...

Where words come out from the depth of truth;

Our appearances...

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;

Should I sign off saying, "This is my humble submission."?

😉

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