When one looks up the word humble in the dictionary, an array of different definitions pop up, ranging from unpretentious to weak and abased. This was curious to me, that one word , could have such opposite meanings. The english language is full of these types of idiosyncrasies. It seems that it's impossible to decide if humility is a weakness or a strength. If you humble someone, it is using the word negatively, if you yourself are humble, that's generally a positive thing. Isn't the act of humbling the negative. Anyway, that's besides the point. What I was really thinking about was what does humility look like? When we say a person is humble, what are we describing? I know that humility is not one of my strong points, but I wonder, have I really witnessed it in others? Life is funny like that. How can our views ever be unbiased, it is really possible to see the world humbly? What does this take? Don't we all believe that, to some degree, we know best? Do not all of us believe, we hold truth at our very fingertips? Is this not an act of pride in itself? If we think we are humble can we really be humble? How does one become truly open?
The problem, I believe, lies in ever thinking we know, at all. Basically, human's are complex. I would love to meet someone, like Mother Theresa, and spend a year with her. To learn what it takes to label someone a saint. I wonder what she thought about herself? And Ghandi, what was his self-esteem like? I wonder, will I know, when I no longer need to know, and if I no longer need to know, how will I know I know? Anyway, this is why I called this blog the meanderings of a wandering mind. My point or purpose is to say, I would like to be more humble, I don't want to need to be right or find it necessary to compete. I don't want to know it all or compare myself to the successes of others. I want to experience the world, my way, using my senses, without judgement. 
I don't want to spend my life believing I know best, because I don't, I'm always learning too. So, when I began to hear the judge and jury in my head, I will silence them, it is not my place to label others, but it is my desire to love them.
The problem, I believe, lies in ever thinking we know, at all. Basically, human's are complex. I would love to meet someone, like Mother Theresa, and spend a year with her. To learn what it takes to label someone a saint. I wonder what she thought about herself? And Ghandi, what was his self-esteem like? I wonder, will I know, when I no longer need to know, and if I no longer need to know, how will I know I know? Anyway, this is why I called this blog the meanderings of a wandering mind. My point or purpose is to say, I would like to be more humble, I don't want to need to be right or find it necessary to compete. I don't want to know it all or compare myself to the successes of others. I want to experience the world, my way, using my senses, without judgement. 
I don't want to spend my life believing I know best, because I don't, I'm always learning too. So, when I began to hear the judge and jury in my head, I will silence them, it is not my place to label others, but it is my desire to love them.
1 comment:
Good points. I was just thinking about why each of us thinks we are right all the time. If we didn't think we were right about a certain thing, wouldn't we adopt a new perspective on it? We would then go back to thinking we were right about everything until we find one more thing to change, and then another... So really, becoming humble is just the act of seeking knowledge, in a way. I've also heard a lot that humility isn't thinking less of ourselves, it's thinking of ourselves less. All interesting things.
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