HUMILITY IS MISUNDERSTOOD

Humility is apparently one of the most misunderstood words and concepts. It appears that people always want you to behave in certain ways before they can adjudge you humble. This can be quite abusive.

"On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom." - Michel de Montaigne

Some people could take it a step further by pulling up the card of ‘’he/she is very arrogant’’. This might even be in cases where you haven’t done anything to show arrogance. So, they take advantage of your need of public acceptance and validation and enslave you.

You see yourself loosing value in order to measure up to their standard of humility. This shouldn’t be so, if you have a working knowledge of what humility is like. Like they say knowledge is power. I would say, active knowledge is power.

There are some people whose job it is to cut you to their size. They do this by making you look arrogant when you are not. Arrogance is not when you are assertive and demand your right. It is not when you walk confidently. It is not giving yourself the best things you can’t afford. It is not about the clothes you put on. It is not demanding better jobs. It is not in saying good things about yourself. It is not in declaring how good you are at something. It is not when you refuse to allow people humiliate you.

Humility on the other hand is not about making yourself a foot mat. It is not walking like a sick person. It is not timidity or mediocrity. It is not taking ill treatment in order to be accepted by the public. It is not dressing shabbily. It is not about eating food by the road side. It is not about the type of phone you use. Its not how you oblige to everything. These things and lots more do not portray humility.

Contrary to the belief that when you say you are humble it means you are not, and that it is people around you that can tell if you are humble; your humility is first known to you. Humility operates first in your mind. Your words and actions are products of your thoughts. If you have a humble thought, your words and action will align with it. Humility starts in your mind and is projected through your words and actions. The same applies to arrogance

Understanding who you are, your worth, abilities, achievements, strengths and weaknesses without humiliating people. It also means you should not feel intimidated around those who have certain things more than you.

Humility is an attitude that makes you live your life on your terms without considering yourself better than other people. When you are humble you don’t do things for validation. You appreciate where you are in life and where you are yet to be, you also appreciate other people in their own position. You don’t feel entitled. You consider every human as equal and deserving respect. You stand a chance to be corrected. You go a step further by displaying this belief through your words and actions. You talk to people respectively, regardless of their ages or position in life. You also treat people well.

Humility is primarily how you see yourself in relations to other people. Even if you were to dress in rags, if you are arrogant it will still be obvious. You cannot disguise it. Have you seen Nigerian beggars get angry when you don’t give them alms, they are arrogant and full of entitlement, despite their position. You can now imagine what they will have done if they had all the good things of life.

Be humble but at the same time, don’t let people think that you are weak.

A snake should appear venomous, even if it is not poisonous. It is but a human tendency to exploit the weak, let people think that you are weak but when they come to take advantage of your weakness, you should show them how strong you are.

How do you see yourself? How do you see other people? Therein lies your answer. If you are humble your answer will tell you, if you are not, you will know.

Don't be an hypocrite just because you want to appear humble!!!