Quotes of the Day - On Humility
I have enjoyed the daily free Leadership newsletter (www.smartbrief.com/leadership/) from SmartBrief and will highly recommend to anyone interested in developing better personal leadership to subsribe to. Today the newsletter’s SmartQuote section has a nice quote on humility from the U.S. Present Barack Obama, “We exercise our leadership best when we … show some element of humility and when we recognize we may not always have the best answer but we can always encourage the best answer.”
Confucius told his followers, “Humility is the solid foundation of all the virtues.” Cornel West also said, “Humility means two things. One, a capacity for self-criticism… The second feature is allowing others to shine, affirming others, empowering and enabling others. Those who lack humility are dogmatic and egotistical. That masks a deep sense of insecurity. They fell the success of others is at the expense of their own fame and glory.”
One book by Hal Urban titled Choices That Change Live has a great chapter describing humility in an elegant way that I decided to copy the quotes directly from his book to share with you:
4 Things Humble People Won’t Do
- Humble people don’t think they know everything.
- “It wasn’t until quite late in my life that I discovered how easy it is to say “I don’t know.” – Somerset Maugham
- Humble people don’t think they are always right.
- “Pride is concerned who is right. Humanity is concerned what is right.” – Ezra Taft Benson
- “Nobody stands taller than those willing to stand corrected.” – William Safire
- Humble people don’t brag.
- “What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.” – Abraham Lincoln
- “When someone signs his praises, he always gets the tune too high.” – Mary H. Waldrip.
- Humble people don’t judge others.
- “I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won’t presume to probe into the faults of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
- “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? – Matthew 7:1-3.
4 Things Humble People Consistently Do
- Humble people treat others with respect.
- “Humility and respect go hand in hand.” – Paul H. Borisoff
- Treat other people exactly as you would like to be treated by them.” – Matthew 7:12
- Humble people are thankful.
- “Prideful people never have enough. Humble people appreciate what they have.” – Jean Dreyfus
- “It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy.” – Charles Spurgeon
-Humble people are genuine.
- “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real.” – Thomas Merton
- “I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others.” – Lao-Tzu
-Humble people want to learn and become better.
- “Humility is an approach to life that says “I don’t have all the answers and I want your contributions.” – John Baldoni
- “Being prepared to set aside old notions and be taught by life is learning humility.” – Michael McGinnis
In short, “Life is a lesson in humility. Be humble… or be humbled.” Smart leaders know this well and you can, too.
