I've heard the virtue of humility be praised time and time again but I can't help but feel like constant humility is counter-productive. To what amount should one practice it?
2006-08-13 17:37:40 · 33 answers · asked by Justin 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
It should always be practiced.
2006-08-13 17:42:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think humility is relative. Some people are brilliant and are praised and their response to the praise is one of humility because they do not believe or feel that in fact they are worthy of the praise. In that sense then yeah, it can be counter productive. However, if a person is self confident and trusts and knows that he or she is good at whatever it is they do, they can accept praise with humility (which I believe is the most respectful way) and not have it affect them in a negative way.
2006-08-20 09:37:56 · answer #2 · answered by AsianPilot 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A verse to a song...........Oh lord it's so hard to be humble, when your're perfect in everyway...I can wait to look in the mirror coz' I get better looking each day....
and it goes on from there....having humility is what makes a person strong, it is because they have the confidence to see that what they may be facing at that time has nothing to do with what's actually going on. Humility is something God gives when you are open to other peoples differences of ideas or opinions. It affords you the opportunity to stay grounded and accept or not accept what is being put to you. It gives your character as a person that you are open, willing to hear and listen and not necessarily have to agree or disagree with the others opinion....
The only way I see that it is wrong is if you are hurt by simply being subject to one who doesn't see that their actions, words , etc are out of line or inappropriate....that's when you decide to stay humble or give back a feeling or two....
2006-08-20 12:58:37 · answer #3 · answered by miroj424 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think humility is ever wrong. If, by constant humility, you mean lack of self respect, that's a different story. Self respect and humility are not mutually exclusive. Self respect is healthy, someone with self respect would have no problem being humble. You might have a problem being humble if you we're too proud. I think pride and shame are the same thing. If you are ashamed of yourself, it's your pride that got in the way. If you are too proud to accept charity, you're actually too ashamed. etc
2006-08-21 16:40:32 · answer #4 · answered by Dr Know It All 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humility is right or wrong, like most things, depending on how you define it. When I was in the martial arts we used to line up according to rank. Humility meant accepting your place in the line because that was where you had shown you had the right to stand. Denying what you have achieved is not humility, that's humiliation. Find your place and stand tall and proud there, if you want a higher place, earn it.
2006-08-18 01:02:28 · answer #5 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humility with UN-assuming nature is productive and it will not hurt you. It is meaningless to say that a person is having humility but expects something in return. It can not be called as humility.
2006-08-18 21:45:14 · answer #6 · answered by rajiv s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Humility is a virtue if you're kind of a tool or a spaz, but if you're, for example, me, humility is fairly useless except as a means to put people off their guard immediately prior to ninja-kicking them in the face.
2006-08-18 08:15:43 · answer #7 · answered by lobsterdelivery 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has been wrong.
Before Christianity, Aristotle taught that humility was a vice. (A vice is a negative character trait - a negative 'attitude'.) He taught that every virtue (positive attitude) is a middle ground between two vices, a vice of too little and a vice of too much. He taught that humility was too little of the virtue of pride and too much pride was the vice of vanity.
The Christians simplified morality from vice-virtue-vice to just virtue-vice. They taught that humility is a virtue and is the opposite of the vice (or sin) of pride.
So humility has been a vice at one time and a virtue at another. If you are a Christian, you should treat it as a virtue.
Keep in mind that, despite what some have suggested, morality is not about what's best for you. It is about what you ought to do (or be like) whether or not it is also best for you. Morality is about how you behave towards others, not how you behave towards yourself.
2006-08-13 19:24:09 · answer #8 · answered by brucebirdfield 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Interesting question...one that I find myself struggling with as well...
I grew up with a father who knew everything. He could never be wrong, and he could never fail. He has decided that he did nothing to ruin his marriage with my mother, that nothing happened bad between us, and that he is responsible for my great work ethic and social life.
Thus, I have forced myself into humility for most of my life, attempting to rid myself of his egotistical shadow and the damaging traits he left with me.
But recently I realized that my forced humility was more of a problem than a solution. I couldn't take compliments, I seemed miserable, people always thought I wasn't happy. And in a sense, I wasn't; I was constantly stressing over what could go wrong next.
Through some reading, some soul-searching, and a little bit of praying, I came to the conclusion that true humility has nothing to do with downsizing yourself. Humility is completely about generosity and charity, not self-deprecation.
I think that is the problem with most people and humility: they fail to find the true impulse. It is why someone like Muhammad Ali could be considered humble, all things considered. He may seem blessed with a huge ego, but the work he has done to help and inspire others, the amount of time he has given back to those who supported him, shows his humility.
There's a fine line between self-confidence and arrogance, and it has to be traveled very carefully. It's fine to be proud of yourself, and it's good to be satisfied. But always remember your reasons for being proud. Remember your true motivation, and remember those who helped you along the way. That's true humility. And that's never bad.
2006-08-13 17:52:01 · answer #9 · answered by David H 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
G'day Justin,
Thanks for the question.
Humility is generally a good thing but should not be mistaken for weakness.
You also don't want to be like Uriah Heep in David Copperfield. He was known for his cloying humility, obsequiousness, and general insincerity.
Regards
2006-08-13 17:53:32 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well....I say it depends partly on intentions or motivations. There is a sense in which humility is used by individuals to get or gain what they are seeking. In other words, it is possible to use a false humility to play the martyr role in life. Then everyone feels sorry for us and gives in to our hidden demands.
2006-08-13 17:43:39 · answer #11 · answered by Bryan D 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋