Humility is one of those traits of good character we are told we need to cultivate, but our egalitarian society makes it almost impossible. It will be vital for a post-liberal world.
Your piece is a refreshing antidote during the current month-long celebration of pride. Thank you.
In the 1980s, the US military engrained in its officer candidates the burden of leadership. I assume that's no longer so, and any previously trained officers are probably long gone.
Feminism has certainly drilled the humility out of women. I see it particularly in relationships between women. Ordinary differences devolve into catfights because neither party is willing to embrace humility.
I am reminded that during my catechesis the priest, Fr. Haas, and I were talking about humility and he brought up that it is rooted in earth or soil. As you say - being humble is being down to earth or knowing who and what we are and what we are capable of without debasing or deprecating ourselves nor engaging in hubris.
Is the mountain haughty in its heights? Does the sea despair of its depth? Neither should each man hold themselves as being above one another but understand their role and embrace it.
"You will, like the Pharisee, be tempted to give yourself the credit. You will be tempted to look your nose down at those on the plateaus beneath you."
A poignant reminder that we are to remain fixed upon Christ and that we are all running our own race, and that we are not called to quietly live and let live but to let Christ shine through us and our lives as living examples (which is what I was thinking about writing this weekend anyway so probably yes it is what I will write about).
I consider myself exceptionally humble, but I tell people I'm a narcissist in an effort to accurately communicate this to those indoctrinated by egalitarianism.
Thanks for this. I have been despairing about the topic for some time. This lays it all out very clearly in a Christian perspective.
I would also like to say that it is let's, not lets, as in a contraction of let and us, also, its is the possessive form of the pronoun "it", meaning belonging to it. It's is a contraction of the words "it is" or "it has". Same as you used "theirs" correctly, same principle applied. Common mistake, had to learn this many times as a Norwegian.
I have a gift for language, and consider it my duty to help even if it is seen as being a pedant and condescending. Similarly I continue to sing, even if people want to treat me like a star when I am trying to glorify God and bless others, and myself, by doing so. It's hard, because song is so perverted as a medium today in a secular context, and singers are idolized to an insane degree. And I don't know how to approach people gushing over me after, but I have learned that saying "all glory to God" instead of "thank you so much" is the opposite of humility.
You will be happy to know that I went through the piece and I think I caught all the “it’s” and “let’s” that needed to be “it’s” and “let’s”. I had someone else point it out to me as well. I had a few minutes waiting for one of my kids to finish lifeguard training and used it productively.
Awesome! Yes, I re-read the piece while waiting for something myself the other day, and noticed towards the end there were no stumbling blocks. I do text editing myself, so it's an environmental damage, as we call it in Norway.
Fantastic! Good to know. My wife is a good editor, but has zero interest in editing my writings. The Gestalt is strong in me, in that my brain fixes most mistakes as I read so I seldom see them. I have found reading them out loud for the recordings has helped with that.
I am glad you enjoyed the piece. No worries on the lets/let’s it’s/it’s difficulties. I am afraid that I have become lazy over the years allowing my word processor to keep me straight and Substack’s editor does not save my bacon. I will try to be more mindful, but even the erudite have their grammar foibles. For example, in pronunciation, while I can manage differentiating between do, due and dew on the fly, I will often mix up the “er” sound in “western” so that it comes out as “westren.” And my time in western Michigan has made me a hopeless dropper of the “g” in “ing.” I also catch myself in the occasional “Gawd” and “cawfee.”
Westren, I quite like that. Has a bit of a Tolkien ring to it. I think your accent has an amiable but distinguished sound, well suited for preaching and for listening.
Thank you. While I do feel blessed having a natural “preacher’s voice” the only downside is that because my voice carries so well, it can be hard for me to have a discrete conversation in a public setting.
Your piece is a refreshing antidote during the current month-long celebration of pride. Thank you.
In the 1980s, the US military engrained in its officer candidates the burden of leadership. I assume that's no longer so, and any previously trained officers are probably long gone.
Feminism has certainly drilled the humility out of women. I see it particularly in relationships between women. Ordinary differences devolve into catfights because neither party is willing to embrace humility.
Thanks, Alicia. Yes, the drive to greater egalitarianism does seem to coincide with the rise of feminism’s influence in our society.
I am reminded that during my catechesis the priest, Fr. Haas, and I were talking about humility and he brought up that it is rooted in earth or soil. As you say - being humble is being down to earth or knowing who and what we are and what we are capable of without debasing or deprecating ourselves nor engaging in hubris.
Is the mountain haughty in its heights? Does the sea despair of its depth? Neither should each man hold themselves as being above one another but understand their role and embrace it.
"You will, like the Pharisee, be tempted to give yourself the credit. You will be tempted to look your nose down at those on the plateaus beneath you."
A poignant reminder that we are to remain fixed upon Christ and that we are all running our own race, and that we are not called to quietly live and let live but to let Christ shine through us and our lives as living examples (which is what I was thinking about writing this weekend anyway so probably yes it is what I will write about).
Great thoughts. I like the image of the mountain and the sea. Glad I could help be an inspiration.
I consider myself exceptionally humble, but I tell people I'm a narcissist in an effort to accurately communicate this to those indoctrinated by egalitarianism.
Exactly!
Thanks for this. I have been despairing about the topic for some time. This lays it all out very clearly in a Christian perspective.
I would also like to say that it is let's, not lets, as in a contraction of let and us, also, its is the possessive form of the pronoun "it", meaning belonging to it. It's is a contraction of the words "it is" or "it has". Same as you used "theirs" correctly, same principle applied. Common mistake, had to learn this many times as a Norwegian.
I have a gift for language, and consider it my duty to help even if it is seen as being a pedant and condescending. Similarly I continue to sing, even if people want to treat me like a star when I am trying to glorify God and bless others, and myself, by doing so. It's hard, because song is so perverted as a medium today in a secular context, and singers are idolized to an insane degree. And I don't know how to approach people gushing over me after, but I have learned that saying "all glory to God" instead of "thank you so much" is the opposite of humility.
You will be happy to know that I went through the piece and I think I caught all the “it’s” and “let’s” that needed to be “it’s” and “let’s”. I had someone else point it out to me as well. I had a few minutes waiting for one of my kids to finish lifeguard training and used it productively.
Awesome! Yes, I re-read the piece while waiting for something myself the other day, and noticed towards the end there were no stumbling blocks. I do text editing myself, so it's an environmental damage, as we call it in Norway.
Fantastic! Good to know. My wife is a good editor, but has zero interest in editing my writings. The Gestalt is strong in me, in that my brain fixes most mistakes as I read so I seldom see them. I have found reading them out loud for the recordings has helped with that.
I am glad you enjoyed the piece. No worries on the lets/let’s it’s/it’s difficulties. I am afraid that I have become lazy over the years allowing my word processor to keep me straight and Substack’s editor does not save my bacon. I will try to be more mindful, but even the erudite have their grammar foibles. For example, in pronunciation, while I can manage differentiating between do, due and dew on the fly, I will often mix up the “er” sound in “western” so that it comes out as “westren.” And my time in western Michigan has made me a hopeless dropper of the “g” in “ing.” I also catch myself in the occasional “Gawd” and “cawfee.”
Westren, I quite like that. Has a bit of a Tolkien ring to it. I think your accent has an amiable but distinguished sound, well suited for preaching and for listening.
Thank you. While I do feel blessed having a natural “preacher’s voice” the only downside is that because my voice carries so well, it can be hard for me to have a discrete conversation in a public setting.
So a long life of training your communication style for Twitter, then. Lucky you.
Thanks! Yes it has been good to repurpose those skills.