Be Humble

We are all not born equal. Some are born in wealthy families, some with sound health, some with an abundance of talent etc. And some are born in poverty or deformed or bereft of any talent. This inequity continues through one’s life and we find at any point of time, some people who are blessed and some who are deprived. As Shakespeare had said "Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them".

It is usually found that when a person has an abundance of something, say wealth or talent or looks, the person starts getting a superiority complex. The feeling that I deserve this and I am better than you manifests itself. Ego becomes inflated and soon, arrogance in thought, speech and action sets in. Arrogance, as we all know very well, is a detestable characteristic which makes people shun the person displaying it. People may ignore it if it is occasional. If repeated more than once, one gets branded as such and loses friends fast.

A mature person, however, is humble and displays humility at all times. He recognises that all that he possesses are not "rightfully" his and that he is a temporary custodian only. He realises that nothing in life is permanent and to treat the current situation as something that will last forever would be foolish. He also prepares himself mentally for a situation where he will not possess the asset. He does not look down upon people who are deprived knowing fully well that the tables may get reversed tomorrow. He speaks softly and is not assertive. Anger, greed and such negative emotions do not come near him.

Humility does not mean timidity. A humble person is not someone who will bow down and accept wrongs. He will be strong and firm and yet gentle in approach. He will be pleasant and kind with fellow beings. He will always respect others and harbour a positive mindset.

I believe that the first test of a truly great man is humility - John Ruskin

One must be as humble as the dust before he can discover truth - Mahatma Gandhi