[Bonamona]

The virtue of humility contributes to a more inner peace.

Discuss your feelings/thoughts on this issue.

P/S Humility does not necessarily mean degrading one's self worth.

[blueback]

Humility on its own is overrated.

Compared to an ant I'm a God. Compared to a star I'm an ant. Humility needs to be tempered with arrogance
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[Olympics2010]

From my own perspective, humility is very very important. I would even agree that it is necessary in pretty much all human conduct, in order to ensure the equally necessary productivity in living.

[Bhokarala]

I agree with blueback. Humility in some things is necessary only so long as it is not the only thing.

So long as humility does not become self-degradation it's fine. But I'd like to know where you draw the line between humility and respect. Without the connotation of self-degradaton, I feel like they're almost synonymous.

That being said, if you were humble to an ant (or someone who did not deserve your humility) it is self-degradation. You should be humble only in the proper circumstances.

[ElGuyay]

for an INTJ, humility is a necessity for growth. arrogance and conceit are our biggest features, and you can see from this board that some people have let these two feelings control them and it has turned them into an impenetrable fortress of delusional self-righteousness. cool, i guess, if you're a hermit and browse the interweb all day, but if you're looking to eventually see life from a different perspective and question yourself (a painful experience for our type), then you'll have to start by feeling some humility. at the end of your journey you might even find that you were right about 95% of the things you've ever thought, and thus had a right to be arrogant, but chances are the percentage will be much lower. i suggest becoming depressed, it helps the process along.

[ctclough]

	Originally Posted by Bhokarala To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	That being said, if you were humble to an ant (or someone who did not deserve your humility) it is self-degradation. You should be humble only in the proper circumstances.

This made me think a little.

I humbly submit that we can learn a lot from the ant. They don't ask for bail-outs - they work together for their common good.

Also, it may be described as humble when you consider the life of a tiny creature like an ant as worthwhile and of value.

How people treat tiny creatures says a lot about them. Do you humbly step around an anthill, or take your foot and stomp their work? I don't find having a humble, gentle toward an ant degrading at all; I find it peaceful.

It strikes me that if one has the virtue of humility, one can learn from all creatures, great and small.

[vampyroteuthis]

In some circumstances, sure. But this is cloudy enough that it could as easily turn into, "the habit of acquiescence turns into more inner inertia", and it so often does.

It also sounds a lot like an attempt to police or stifle feelings in order to fit one's own desired moral self-portrait. Unless you want to interpret 'humility' to mean honesty and self-examination, in which case I'm not sure 'humility' has much utility as a freestanding concept.

---------- Post added 07-26-2010 at 11:33 PM ----------

	Originally Posted by ctclough To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I humbly submit that we can learn a lot from the ant. They don't ask for bail-outs - they work together for their common good.

I agree. They all work in concert for the common good, pick up their fallen comrades, own no personal property, and divide up their resources from each according to its need to each according to its ability. The only thing that worries me is their continuing adherence to monarchy.

[CycleBreaker]

Humility does not = a small ego.

While it may sound counter intuitive, I find that feeding the ego well and often helps to make one less dependent on others, while indirectly contributing to humility since you don't need their approval for your self worth and derive a confidence from within.

[ktgrey]

Humility isn't that well-defined - I couldn't immediately come up with a good definition for it when I saw this thread. So dictionary.com says "the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance, rank, etc." It's definitely better to have a modest opinion of yourself than an inflated one but IMO, it's better to have an accurate self-evaluation of your abilities. Otherwise you may not be able to make full use of them. But it's better to underestimate yourself than overestimate yourself.

[Photolysis]

I don't see humility as a virtue. I think instead an honest and realistic appraisal of oneself is a far better approach. That way you can acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses, and be in a far better position to take advantage of them.

That said, humility is not a particularly defined word so maybe this was what you meant. But if it was, this isn't a virtue because it's showing humility, it's a virtue because it's an accurate and rational self-evaluation.

[Trevor Black]

Originally Posted by Photolysis To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I don't see humility as a virtue. I think instead an honest and realistic appraisal of oneself is a far better approach. That way you can acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses, and be in a far better position to take advantage of them. That said, humility is not a particularly defined word so maybe this was what you meant. But if it was, this isn't a virtue because it's showing humility, it's a virtue because it's an accurate and rational self-evaluation.

I agree with this post, so much so that I call the true virtue of humility having an honest truthful image of oneself, in both strengths and weaknesses. If I am an intelligent person, I am being humble by saying I am intelligent matter-of-factly (I wouldn't be humble if I said I am very exceptionally so, or if I said I'm retarded, or have an average intelligence). The same with my weakness of being not physically strong.

[admittedheretic]

	Originally Posted by Mike Retriever To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I agree with this post, so much so that I call the true virtue of humility having an honest truthful image of oneself, in both strengths and weaknesses..

So, you define humility as only pertaining to the self and not others?

That is strange because man, like our primate relatives, form our sense of self in relation to other people. The notion of humility effectively conveys the notion ones self is not better or more deserving than another self, but human nature is such that we are all egocentric narcissists. Biologically speaking, humility is figuratively synonymous with pride which comes from a self believing they are better and/or more deserving than (an)other self or selves.

I'm not sure how it pertains to morality, but I believe one should be honest and truthful with their limitations that come with being primates.

[Bhokarala]

	Originally Posted by admittedheretic To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	That is strange because man, like our primate relatives, form our sense of self in relation to other people.

That is, only if you do.

[admittedheretic]

	Originally Posted by Bhokarala To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	That is, only if you do.

Everyone does. The only exception which is questionable would be profound cases of autism.

[Doppelbock]

Intellectual humility is the cornerstone of critical thinking. Without a willingness to admit you are not as smart and as right as you think you are, you are not a critical thinker.

[Bhokarala]

That "sense of self" is a man's thought of himself. I don't see where others factor into this.

And as for the last comment I think that's more of a problem of honesty than humility, per se.

[lifesight]

I think humility is a necessity in all circumstances; it doesn’t matter if the person deserves it or not, what you are should not be based on other people.
Why humility is a necessity? Well the faculty of a philosopher is the faculty of wonders, the person should wonder to become a philosopher, but a friend once opened my eyes, that a person would never wonder if he doesn’t have humility.
Humility would help you stay grounded and help you learn more and faster, which will benefit your growth.

[Synamon]

	Originally Posted by Bonamona To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	P/S Humility does not necessarily mean degrading one's self worth.

Yes, it does.

[Distance]

Humility as a virtue is a left-over from religion, for non-religious types and necessary for religious believers. In order to submit to a higher authority, you must believe yourself to be less than the higher authority.

[zibber]

	Originally Posted by blueback To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Humility on its own is overrated. Compared to an ant I'm a God. Compared to a star I'm an ant. Humility needs to be tempered with arrogance To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Then again, God was never known to be the most chipper fella.

[Crafter]

I only find humility useful in the sense of keeping your reality intact.

I am better at some things than some people.

Worse than some people at others.

But I accept this.

[Rudy]

Don't be humbled by the majesty of the universe, be in awe of it. Don't be humbled by how little you know, be aware of it. Don't be humbled by the limitations of our primate DNA, have a laugh about it. Don't be humble.

To be inspired by the thought of something greater than you is good for the (figurative) soul. To be in a state of humility is not. Humility is the enemy of pride. Pride in one's self, one's accomplishments, one's abilities spurs advancement, self-improvement, reaching, grasping. Humility breeds complacency and contentment; it blocks change and innovation. The truly humble soul is not capable of thinking he can do better than others; a society of truly humble souls stagnates.

[cannotseethe]

Humility negates itself when self applied.

[fokalina]

I think we should stop using the word "humility."