What is Humility?

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Lucretius

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What is humility? On one hand, it seems we should accept what we have as more than what we deserve, but can’t this lead to apathy, inaction, and a kind of quietism?

But on the other hand, it seems we should work to correct some of our problems, and that we, in a sense, deserve certain things, but can’t this lead to entitlement, arrogance, and a kind of Pelagianism?

When should we be active or passive, and for what reasons? Should I live like the Psalmist, who says the “there is nothing I shall want,” or should I live like the Beatitude, and hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Humility is the ability to see ourselves as we really are - knowing our strengths and our weakness and using the talents God and given us to show forth his love.

It isn’t humility to deny the gifts that God has given us.

Humility gives God the praise.
 
Humility is the acceptance of reality. Are some people delusional?, Yes. We all suffer under our own perception of the world.

As to your question; What should we pursue? That is for you to decide for yourself. Anyone who is afraid to move because they are afraid of God will suffer. Remember the guy who buried his talent?

Just ask people what they do in their life. Don’t ask, what do other people think other people should do in case of XYZ.
 
From the Glossary section of the CCC:
HUMILITY: The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride, and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer (2559). Voluntary humility can be described as “poverty of spirit” (2546).
It does not say that humility is incompatible with ambition or pride, but that humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride. In the CCC, I understand “inordinate” as not ordered (aligned, positioned) toward that which is good, or perhaps not put in the right order of importance.
 
Beryllos said:
From the Glossary section of the CCC:
HUMILITY: The virtue by which a Christian acknowledges that God is the author of all good. Humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride, and provides the foundation for turning to God in prayer (2559). Voluntary humility can be described as “poverty of spirit” (2546).
It does not say that humility is incompatible with ambition or pride, but that humility avoids inordinate ambition or pride. In the CCC, I understand “inordinate” as not ordered toward that which is good, or perhaps not put in the right order with respect to that which is good.
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I think I’m starting to understand. Ambitiona are only bad when they get in the way of more important things.

And on the other hand, humility is acceptence of your fate when there is nothing you can do about it: like a man accepting he can never walk again after a car accident.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Humility is the opposite of pride.

“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” - C.S. Lewis

For a slightly longer quote by the same man:

*To even get near [humility], even for a moment, is like a drink of cold water to a man in a desert.

Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.

Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him.

If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.*
 
Humility is not thinking more of yourself but of yourself less
 
God has been a generous, protective, and loving father to me and my family even though I have been a poor servant who struggles to be humble and to avoid pridefulness. So many times when my prayers have been answered beyond my hopes, initially I have been humbly grateful, but many times in my internal dialogue I begin to congratulate myself as if God’s blessings are the result of some achievement of mine. I like to think that as I have aged I have at least been able to catch my pridefulness more often and sooner - but it continues to be a big fault of mine.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (The KJV speaks to me)

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
 
For the best explanation get a hold of the book “Humility of Heart” by Bergamo.
 
Along with the others great responses I would add this: The Litany of Humility by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val.

No one ever said it would be easy to practice humility, but it is the gateway to love and the keeper of our faith against our own corrupted nature with our darkened intellect and weakened will.

We need the grace of God to be humble, as Christ was humble, who is our prime example and the one who gives us his strength to be what he is as the Second Adam.

Mary, of course, is our secondary example, in honor only since she is not divine. But as an “ordinary” human being–she is our model of humility and the one who can best, of all the saints, help us to follow her Son’s example.
 
For me, being humble is being able to accept criticism when it is valid, and then doing something about it, with grace.

Another example is doing something menial at work, that needs to be done, and not feeling it is beneath you.
 
Humility is knowing and accepting your true self and understanding that nothing you have is of your own doing, but has been given to you from God.

Its detachment from the ego created false images of ourselves that we project onto others.

In other words, humility is becoming the person God had in mind when he created you.

Jim
 
Lucretius said:
What is humility? On one hand, it seems we should accept what we have as more than what we deserve, but can’t this lead to apathy, inaction, and a kind of quietism?

But on the other hand, it seems we should work to correct some of our problems, and that we, in a sense, deserve certain things, but can’t this lead to entitlement, arrogance, and a kind of Pelagianism?

When should we be active or passive, and for what reasons? Should I live like the Psalmist, who says the “there is nothing I shall want,” or should I live like the Beatitude, and hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Christi pax,

Lucretius
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Man’s integrity revolves around *moderation-*striking a balance between extremes. Aquinas referred to pride as “inordinate self-love” and “an inordinate desire of one’s own excellence”, an overstepping of who he really is. This is a tendency we have due to original sin. Where man rejected subjugation to God, pride was the immediate consequence; pride is rejection of God, as our God, in the ultimate sense.

Humility is simply the antidote, a return to normalcy from the over-exalted state man finds himself in, and that he prefers for himself if he can get away with it-a state of self-righteousness that is responsible for every moral evil committed. A state of playing God.

But humility must be distinguished from self-hatred or shame or extreme self-abasement, which are also pride-related, towards the opposite extreme.
 
As others have said, humility is the opposite of pride and it is looking rightly at yourself. Humility is also doing everything for others. Pride is selfishness and seeking your own good at the expense of others, so humility is the seeking the good of others without regard for the cost to you. This is why ambition can be good. St. Francis, St. Maximillian Kolbe, and Mother Teresa had ambition, but it was all directed to the good of others. I love Mother Teresa’s quote, “If there are poor on the moon, we will go there too.” Kolbe gave his life for another in a great act of humility.

Humility can be viewed as the foundation for all virtue. Without humility, charity ceases to be virtuous, and without humility, there can be no love. Both these other virtues are incompatible with selfishness. A person who only gives because of what they get out of it (recognition, tax deductions, a feeling of superiority, etc) is not practicing virtue. A person who uses another selfishly cannot be considered loving no matter what they feel.

St. Hildegard of Bingen writes about this. She outlines a progression of seven virtues starting with humility as the foundation (then charity, fear of God, obedience, faith, hope and chastity). It all starts with humility. Until you place value in others and seek their good, no other virtue can exist.

Jesus, as the perfect model of all virtue, was truly humble. He did not think poorly of Himself - He knew He was the Son of God. He also didn’t think more of Himself than He should - He never made Himself greater than the Father. He sacrificed everything for the good of others. Our good was His only concern.
 
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