Humility Keeps Us Real

Posted on April 19, 2021 by mitchteemley
True Humility
Photo by Kyle Johnson (unsplash.com)

Thought for the Week

I’m always surprised by the number of attractive, scantily-clad young women who want to be my friends on Facebook—Michonne with walkersclearly due to my sparkling personality and rugged good looks. Then I see the targeted ads for easy-access bathtubs and walkers right next to those Facebook invites, and I think, Hey, even Michonne uses a walker (sometimes two). Then I return to earth. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Sure, humility is regarded as a virtue, something admirable if not vital. But it’s far more than that. Only true humility grounds us in reality. Because the opposite of humility isn’t pride, it’s delusion. Without humility we cannot see things, especially ourselves,

For what they truly are. 

⇔

“Life is a long lesson in humility.” ~J.M. Barrie

“On the highest throne in the world, we still sit only on our own bottom.” ~Michel de Montaigne

“Never curse a fall. The ground is where humility lives.” ~Yasmin Mogahed

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” ~Ernest Hemingway

“’Nothing is more deceitful,’ said Darcy, ‘than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.’” ~Jane Austen

“Really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.” ~John Ruskin

“For whoever is the least among you is the greatest.”

~Luke 9:48

⇔

About mitchteemley

Writer, Filmmaker, Humorist, Thinker-about-stuffer
This entry was posted in For Pastors and Teachers, Humor, Quips and Quotes and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

34 Responses to Humility Keeps Us Real

  1. Love Alone says:
    April 19, 2021 at 11:59 am

    Reblogged this on Love and Love Alone.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. TheFlowIntoWords says:
    April 19, 2021 at 12:19 pm

    I’ve never thought of the opposite of humility being delusion, but that makes a lot of sense to me. Pretty eye opening, and I can imagine this view encourages compassion and patience for those who are “deluded” as opposed to “prideful”. I love this perspective! Thank you for sharing this.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply
  4. insanitybytes22 says:
    April 19, 2021 at 12:28 pm

    Ha! I like that, “the opposite of humility isn’t pride, it’s delusion.” Some delusion is good, or rather, sometimes letting things capture our imagination is good! I once heard some Jewish guys singing Proverbs 31 over the women in their house, and it was very over the top, an ode to mom, laying it on thick with the romance of language. Very sweet however, and it really taught me how to appreciate the way the Bible is designed to capture our imagination, to pull us into an adventure, a relationship.

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Rosaliene Bacchus says:
    April 19, 2021 at 12:57 pm

    I agree when you say: “Without humility we cannot see things, especially ourselves, for what they truly are.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. Heidi Viars says:
    April 19, 2021 at 2:51 pm

    I LOVE how you explained humility, Mitch… another good quote comes from F.B. Meyer… “I used to think God’s gifts were on shelves – one above another – and the taller we grow, the easier we can reach them. Now I find that God’s gifts are on shelves – and the lower we stoop, the more we get.”
    Thanks for this wonderful reminder today! Great start to the week 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  8. artsandletters9 says:
    April 19, 2021 at 3:42 pm

    It is hard to write memoirs and carry delusions. Hours spent observing the gaping holes in one’s attempts at loving brings one to ground level. Marriage to one loving spouse over 40 years tends to do that as well. Don’t you think?

    Liked by 2 people

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  9. Minister Mike says:
    April 19, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    Very true

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Liz Gauffreau says:
    April 19, 2021 at 5:35 pm

    The Mitch quote is my favorite, very insightful!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. davidsdailydose says:
    April 19, 2021 at 7:00 pm

    My two favorites were by John Ruskin and some guy named Mitch Teemley. I actually wrote them both down in my hardcover journal. This is kind of a big deal, because I hate the sight of my own handwriting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. anitashope says:
    April 19, 2021 at 7:53 pm

    Love your quote on your picture.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Ananda says:
    April 19, 2021 at 9:45 pm

    Thank you for this beautiful reminder 🙏

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  14. Lokesh Sastya says:
    April 20, 2021 at 1:23 pm

    Life is a long lesson in humanity. I agree.💖💖

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. alslaff says:
    April 21, 2021 at 11:12 am

    Mitch, this quote popped into my head — from Charles de Gaulle:
    “The graveyards are full of indispensable men.”
    Children (and humanity) don’t have to be taught how to lie; like pride and arrogance, they come to us automatically as inherited original sin after the Fall. Humility wasn’t in that package. We are asked in God’s word to “be humble.” Our responsibility to keep working at it as we continue to become that new creation in Christ. Thx, Mitch.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. gregoryjoel says:
    April 22, 2021 at 10:16 am

    My friend and mentor Jim once asked me, “f you asked to most humble man in the world if he was the most humble man in the world, what would his answer be?” Jim was known for trick questions so I figured there was no way I could get this one right. He told me that the man would say “I am”. That made no sense to me until he said that humility was truly knowing your place in God’s world. It sure gave me something to think about…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. revruss1220 says:
    April 22, 2021 at 10:37 pm

    Great thoughts and great quotes… especially the Ruskin one.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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