Being humble is more honest than bragging

humble monk comic

Have you ever heard what very smart and gifted people say about their work? They are humble. If they are humble, why can’t we be who aren’t so gifted?

I read Steven Hawking once said to the press that “his small contribution to understanding the universe”. My eyes bugged out reading that. It doesn’t matter if you don’t appreciate Steven Hawking, his contribution was not small.

I had a mentor once tell me that there are always people who are better than you and people who are worse. So it is ok to be happy and accept whatever level you are at. That was really stunning for me to hear. For me, I always had the idea I was at a certain level but other opinions differed with me on that. People always thought that I was smarter than I was.

humble monk comic
humble monk comic

Don’t misunderstand. This isn’t an attempt to humblebrag. I am sharing this because it is more honest to say that while I have some gifts, there are other ways in which I am worse than other people. It doesn’t help anyone for me to worry about those insignificant differences. More importantly, we are human and deserving of respect.

If we approach life in a humble way and appreciate the uniqueness of others it is a much different experience than being prideful. I tried the prideful way and it didn’t work for me. When you compare yourself to others constantly you tend to be insecure, frustrated, and unhappy. The more you can accept your unique gifts and not compare yourself to others, the happier you are.

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This isn’t my attempt to brainwash you with my ideas of life. I am simply sharing what has worked for me. To me, if something in my life doesn’t make me happy then it is clear it needs to be changed.

What use is it if a man gains the entire world but loses his happiness in the process?