Humility

I've been reflecting on humility a lot lately. It's an area of personal development that I have been uncomfortable with, because people often use humility as a way of putting people in their place. I've been conflicted on it's relationship with self confidence.

I've come to this conclusion, true humility is the fruit of self confidence. A person who has a proper accounting of his/her personality know their strengths, weaknesses and realises regardless of their talents they need other people. They understand that every person has a unique contribution and it makes sense to benefit from other people's strength. They are concerned with making others feel valued rather than self promotion.

Humility is not down playing your strengths or faking being humble. It's a willingness to share your knowledge with others. A focus on build other people up and taking the opportunity to learn from others. It's understanding that there's enough problems in this world for all of us and other people's strength takes nothing from us. 

A lack of humility stems from a lack of self confidence, the need for constant reassurance and deep fear of not being good enough. The truth is we all are good enough, we all have a contribution to give. Not having a true north and attempting to measure oneself against a costly moving goal post can lead to such doubt. 

I've set myself a little challenge of reassuring any people who are talk down to me or are boastful. Normally such people would get my back up, but now I see this people really need to be told they are doing good and are desperate for praise. Why not help them feel better about themselves.