I have given careful thought over the past 24 hours concerning my use of Galatians yesterday, and specifically the contrast between an appearance of arraogance and my seeming special pleading for my own gentleness and humility in particular. I thought it only fair that I relate how my thoughts have gone, if for no other reason than clarification.
Most people think of "humility" as denying any particularly special attributes to oneself, a refusal to take oneself as of more worth or value than others. I believe, on the other hand that part of the complex of virtues that make up humility is honesty. I do believe that false humility is to disclaim any of the gifts one has been granted by God, good genes, or hard work. It would be foolish of me to say that I am not self-confident enough to put forward my own views as correct. Were this not so, I would fold this blog and ride off in to the sunset. My conceit comes from a self-awareness (rather than self-regard) that understands not only its own breadth, but how far it has to go. I accept the notion that wisdom is the understanding that what we do not know is infinite. My goal is to move down that road as far as my own gifts and talents and hard work take me, to be sure. I also recognize that I can be wrong as much as I am right. If I were to fall victim to popular ideas of humility, however, all of this would be seen as sinful bragging and self-regard. Rather, it is simple honesty.
Along with honesty, humility also concerns itself with the regard for the feelings of others. This is usually understood as self-abnegation rather than actual concern for others. I have nothing but concern for the feelings of others; I also think it is necessary to address others as honestly as I can. If in so doing, those others interpret it as arrogance, nothing I can say would disabuse of them of such an idea, so I can only do what I do the way I do it, and for those who welcome it, I am grateful. Were I to seek the approbation of everyone, I would be a successful politician, rather than what I am.
For the most part, I believe that we understand humility erroneously if we understand it to be "pooh-poohing" any acclaim we might achieve through our own efforts, plus the luck that accompanies any success we might achieve. Accept it in good humor, but don't allow the acclaim to set us off track, thinking that the acclaim is the end to which we are working. That's the difference, I guess. Some people work for applause lines. Others work, get applause, and keep right on working. The former are not humble, the latter are. I count myself as the latter. Only my own humility prevents me from talking about how humble I am. . .
