Humility: The most important consequence of religion

[JustGeorge]

My feeling: you'll never be able to see the world clearly until you've had a good look at yourself, and you're never going to be able to take a good honest look at yourself until you realize that what you see there isn't going to matter all that much one way are the other.

That in my opinion is Humility: I may not have a whole lot of it mysrlf, but I managed to come up with a great definition for it anyway.

(In my humble opinion)

Once one really understand what a flea's fart one is in the grand scheme of the universe is, its easier to invest in making your own pocket of it better.

It can help. If your approach to something like this is less "Why is this happening to me" and more, "Better me than someone who might be less capable of coming through it okay" it might help take the edge off.

Switching from the former line of thinking to the latter was instrumental in my well being...

 

[YmirGF]

I discovered humility when those pleasant police officers knocked on my door. I didn't think it was the right time to try out some good, old-fashioned, attitude. In fairness, it's probably a better idea to explore humility and being humble before being forced to go through the experience.

 

[Quagmire]

I discovered humility when those pleasant police officers knocked on my door. I didn't think it was the right time to try out some good, old-fashioned, attitude. In fairness, it's probably a better idea to explore humility and being humble before being forced to go through the experience.

Some one once said, "The only two teachers in life are pain and humility, and all pain has to teach you is humility, so I guess you could call pain the remedial prerequisite course for dummies".

Edit: and I don't know how many times I've had to repeat that class.

 

[syo]

Is humility humiliation?

 

[Quagmire]

Is humility humiliation?

No, in fact a lot of the time humility is a good way to avoid humiliation.

 

[Yerda]

Religion is about many things, but it is especially about navigating relationships between the self and others. Those others might be humans, they might be non-humans, or they might be gods. In all cases, the way we approach these relationships in our religions can act as a very important counterbalance for what psychologists view as as an inherent default for human behavior: self-centeredness. As Professor Wright remarks:

"We each stand at the center of our own thoughts, feelings and needs, and thus experience them in a way that we cannot experience the thoughts, feelings and needs of others."​

Professor Wright decided to study the virtue of humility for her research. And while she doesn't explicitly mention the role of religion in cultivating this virtue, some of her words will echo with familiarity to those of us with a deep religious practice:

"Humility reduces the immediacy of your own feelings, needs and goals, creating space for the importance of others’ to enter in. It quiets the “centeredness” enough for you to better experience your interdependency and connection to others. We all bring parts of the puzzle of human experience to the table. We all have something to offer."​

When the religious contemplate their gods and acknowledge a power greater than themselves, this instills a sense of smallness and humility. When the religious acknowledge the power of our communities, both human and non-human, in supporting civilization as we know it, we also find humility. Practices like mindfulness and meditation pull us out of our ego-centered default state and into something more transcendent and sublime to see the greater whole. Celebrating sacred holy days with family and friends connects us together to something bigger. There are many other examples of religious practices and ideas that in effect take us out of ego-centeredness, draw us into something greater, and instill humility.

What do you think about the virtue of humility? Do you agree with Professor Wright that humility is the most important virtue of them all? How does your religious practice and beliefs instill a sense of humility?

Source: Humility is the foundation to a virtuous life

I just wanted to say that article was excellent.

 

[Sirona]

Practices like mindfulness and meditation pull us out of our ego-centered default state and into something more transcendent and sublime to see the greater whole. Celebrating sacred holy days with family and friends connects us together to something bigger. There are many other examples of religious practices and ideas that in effect take us out of ego-centeredness, draw us into something greater, and instill humility.

Last Saturday, Germany's biggest magazine Der Spiegel featured as a cover story about narcissists and egomaniacs being attracted to techniques like mindfulness and meditation because they can use it as a tool to explore even the faintest movements of their oh-so-precious soul life. While I don't think all people who meditate are necessarily egomaniacs, but there may be truth in the fact that many egomaniacs may feel attracted by such techniques which allow them to focus on themselves .

I also think it is important what is taught and not just how it's taught. While I was in Diamond Way Buddhism , we did meditate but we also told each other er were the "elite" not like those superstitious Christians, what to speak of the other Buddhist traditions like those who worship the Dalai Lama, for example. Anyway, the clientele for Diamond Way were laywers, scientists, strong-willed, confident and outgoing people, quite the opposite of who you'd probably expect to join a traditionally "religious" community.

What do you think about the virtue of humility? Do you agree with Professor Wright that humility is the most important virtue of them all? How does your religious practice and beliefs instill a sense of humility?

Well, I think in my religious community there are some individuals who may have a true sense of humility, but at the same time, proselityzing groups also expect their members to be bold. I'm not saying that religions which expect their members to be bold are "better", but they're probably more successful in perpetuating themselves in the long term.