Our virtue of “Humble” according to the dictionary of Google means “not being proud or arrogant, or having a sense of low self worth.” Not bad, and probably how most would define the word, but honestly the dictionary and internet fall short in their definitions here in my opinion. Being humble is so much more. In fact, it’s so personal that perhaps the only way to define its meaning is to point to the embodiment of the word itself. To state it differently, Humility can not simply be bound by a definition – Humility is an atmosphere or even an aroma – it’s not an action. How would you define an aroma? Well you would have to smell it first! An aroma exists but only as it’s defined by one’s senses. Humility is like an aroma, it’s an atmosphere that occurs when you don’t simply think of others more than yourself, rather it occurs when you think of yourself less. I don’t know about you, but that’s a “humbling” thought!
To think of ourselves less requires us to first know who we are – which is not such an easy task. In fact I would simply suggest that one might struggle to answer the question of “who am I?” without first knowing the answer to the question “whose am I?” We all become like those we surround ourselves with – I certainly remember being told to “choose your friends wisely” and have certainly relayed this sentiment to my own children. Because we do in fact become more like those we spend the most time with.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to apply the same thought to our work lives? “Choose your profession wisely” or “choose the people you work with wisely.” Do we have a culture in our business where we want to become more like those we work with? I think the answer is unequivocally yes. Being humble – thinking of ourselves less – is central to any virtuous culture and as we think of ourselves less, we collectively and by default put others first, and only then can we begin to serve others well.
