Humility

I believe in the power of humility. There is something beautiful about offering up our unfinished edges- the burden of everything we do not know. Humility is a soft quality. It makes us malleable, allowing new experiences to change our molds. It makes us absorbent, enabling new information to permeate our perspectives. I would argue that it is necessary for growth.

I have found the most intelligent people to be the most humble. Perhaps because they are confident in their knowledge, devoid of the urge to defend it. Think of all the empirically- minded individuals you know. They have a set of beliefs, but remain open to changing them. They welcome new information and allow their mental constructs to shift. When their originally- held beliefs are proven wrong? They are excited, because it means a shift closer to the truth.

Ego has no place in learning or growth. We would spend much of our lives offended if we reacted this way every time we were wrong. New discoveries are constantly being made! Medical treatments improve, better technology emerges, yummy recipes are revealed! We used to think the Earth was FLAT and that the universe was geocentric. Say WHAT! There was nothing wrong with these beliefs at the time. They were based on the most current data available. All of this to say that we get a lot of things wrong, that it's okay, that it's an inherent part of the process.

So, humility. The admission that we don't know everything, and that we hold our palms open to novelty. This universe is beautifully complex. It is an absolute wonder to behold; far bigger than any of our individual lives. Is it so surprising then, that it has taken us centuries to figure it out? We have so much more to learn. Nothing excites me more than that.

Humility is also an olive branch. It allows us to love on the people around us, without feeling the urge to change them. We may not understand the lives they choose to lead. We may even believe that our way of doing things is better than theirs. This is when humility shines a brilliant light, if we allow it to do so. Acknowledge that there is a historic context to the individuals we interact with, rather than developing a superiority complex. We don't see their full story, or all the forces shaping their beliefs. Ask questions, absolutely, and soak up the knowledge of difference. But also... allow them to exist as they are.

Humility is soft and powerful. It is an absolute treasure of a quality. Struggling with ego is part of the human condition, but I will continue to tussle in pursuit of my humblest warrior self.