The Power of Humility

Joseph Bailey41 said:I actually liked her when she was posting about her grandmother on a different subforum. She sounded like such a lovely woman—tiny, but full of fire (though I'm talking about the grandma, I don't really know Cherie. 😳 )

The whole idea of humility just doesn't sit right with me. To be honest, I find the entire concept repulsive. I tried to wrap my head around it because I thought it might help me on my spiritual journey, but I just can't do it. It actually makes me feel physically uneasy when people start pushing those kinds of ideals. Other things high on my "nope" list include the idea of forgiveness and following your heart instead of your head. I usually just scroll past stuff like that.

To me, that sounds like slavery.

But hey, I get that everyone perceives things differently. There was once a user whose signature was incredibly tacky (something about glorifying service), yet her actual posts were wonderful.

I suppose you'll never reach spirituality, and frankly, neither will I. 😬

If you dig through this PDF, you'll find plenty of my own posts where I lay out exactly why I can't stand humility 😁. My perspective hasn't shifted one bit; if anything, as the years go by, I'm becoming even more convinced of my position.

Humility is just the passive mind calculating that being submissive will get you a better deal than haggling. Forget all that spiritual stuff...

Elevating humility to the status of a virtue is nothing more than the most pedestrian attempt to rationalize one's own spiritual frailty and inherent masochism. To me, it sounds like someone trying to dress up a personal perversion as some higher, more noble calling just to lend themselves a shred of credibility. Frankly, I find seeing a submissive, "humble" individual to be utterly repulsive. It reaches a point where I feel a genuine impulse to give them a kick in the teeth. Figuratively speaking, of course.

casualcanyon3 said:Elevating humility to the status of a virtue is nothing more than the most pedestrian attempt to rationalize one's own spiritual frailty and inherent masochism. To me, it sounds like someone trying to dress up a personal perversion as some higher, more noble calling just to lend themselves a shred of credibility. Frankly, I find seeing a submissive, "humble" individual to be utterly repulsive. It reaches a point where I feel a genuine impulse to give them a kick in the teeth. Figuratively speaking, of course.

And honestly, a kick in the butt might be a step in the right direction! 🧐

I feel the same way; it sounds like spiritualizing a fetish. Look, we all have our little quirks, but this whole dominance/submission thing has definitely taken over too much territory. There are so many interesting fetishes out there, yet the most mindless one somehow managed to grab a monopoly on both spirituality and social norms. 🤣

Melissa Rogers4 said:Humility is just the passive mind calculating that being submissive will get you a better deal than haggling. Forget all that spiritual stuff...

Personally, I’m a fan of standing my ground. It’s like when you tell a street vendor, "These socks are garbage, they aren't even cotton," and you turn around to walk away, only to have them chase after you begging you to take them for half price. 😈

I don't see any reason to believe things work any differently in the spiritual realm.

Joseph Bailey41 said:I actually liked her when she was posting about her grandmother on a different subforum. She sounded like such a lovely woman—tiny, but full of fire (though I'm talking about the grandma, I don't really know Cherie. 😳 )

The whole idea of humility just doesn't sit right with me. To be honest, I find the entire concept repulsive. I tried to wrap my head around it because I thought it might help me on my spiritual journey, but I just can't do it. It actually makes me feel physically uneasy when people start pushing those kinds of ideals. Other things high on my "nope" list include the idea of forgiveness and following your heart instead of your head. I usually just scroll past stuff like that.

To me, that sounds like slavery.

But hey, I get that everyone perceives things differently. There was once a user whose signature was incredibly tacky (something about glorifying service), yet her actual posts were wonderful.

I believe humility often carries negative connotations because it’s frequently equated with being submissive or stripped of one's dignity. In our Western society, where Christianity has lost much of its influence, the ideas of "Christian humility" and "serving God" are often unfairly linked to serving religious institutions, which triggers resistance and even contempt in many people. However, there is absolutely nothing derogatory or ugly about being humble before God.🙂

I don't think feelings like that can be forced—just like forgiveness. It is an internal process that happens within a person; you can't manufacture it through sheer will. That said, certain experiences can certainly shift how we perceive these things. My time spent around a Japanese man changed my entire perspective on humility (which, up until then, had been quite negative, much like yours). I realized that true humility isn't a sign of weakness.🙂

mistybison said:I believe humility often carries negative connotations because it’s frequently equated with being submissive or stripped of one's dignity. In our Western society, where Christianity has lost much of its influence, the ideas of "Christian humility" and "serving God" are often unfairly linked to serving religious institutions, which triggers resistance and even contempt in many people. However, there is absolutely nothing derogatory or ugly about being humble before God.🙂

I don't think feelings like that can be forced—just like forgiveness. It is an internal process that happens within a person; you can't manufacture it through sheer will. That said, certain experiences can certainly shift how we perceive these things. My time spent around a Japanese man changed my entire perspective on humility (which, up until then, had been quite negative, much like yours). I realized that true humility isn't a sign of weakness.🙂

It is through humility alone that one can truly attain God's grace; in the context of mainstream American Christianity, true humility means placing one's hands beneath the threshold of divine mercy and simply asking.

Humility should never be confused with gratitude, nor should it be equated with humiliation, devaluation, worthlessness, or the crushing sense of guilt that many churches impose upon their followers to subjugate them and turn them into mere sources of revenue.

The church has effectively corrupted the concept of humility, transforming its followers into faux-penitents who walk with bowed heads and heavy hearts, burdened by shame. They are rendered unworthy to seek grace—not because they are trying to purchase it through money or good deeds, but because they have been stripped of the ability to be genuinely humble before God.

It seems to me that no one participating in this discussion truly understands what humility actually is, or conversely, what it is not; it remains a profoundly unique spiritual experience.

Furthermore, I am of the firm belief that a person should never feel compelled to be humble before anyone except for God or a Goddess.

I get what you're saying. Are you suggesting the best way to settle the clash between those primal, hierarchical instincts—that whole "alpha" mindset—and our modern, individualistic liberal values is to just project them onto imaginary beings? 😳

mistybison said:I believe humility often carries negative connotations because it’s frequently equated with being submissive or stripped of one's dignity. In our Western society, where Christianity has lost much of its influence, the ideas of "Christian humility" and "serving God" are often unfairly linked to serving religious institutions, which triggers resistance and even contempt in many people. However, there is absolutely nothing derogatory or ugly about being humble before God.🙂

I don't think feelings like that can be forced—just like forgiveness. It is an internal process that happens within a person; you can't manufacture it through sheer will. That said, certain experiences can certainly shift how we perceive these things. My time spent around a Japanese man changed my entire perspective on humility (which, up until then, had been quite negative, much like yours). I realized that true humility isn't a sign of weakness.🙂

I don't know enough about that culture to make a definitive call, but it feels like they’re operating on a completely different wavelength. It reminds me of the concept of Yin in Taoism, for example. It’s not about bowing down to some imaginary figure; it’s more about showing respect to others and finding peace with how things turn out. As I get older, those ideas resonate with me more, while anything that smells like Christianity just starts feeling more off-putting. In old-school American frontier traditions, humility wasn't seen as a virtue—it was seen as a lack of backbone, and honestly, that's pretty much where I stand too. Anything else would feel like a betrayal of my rugged, rogue ancestors. 😬

bluemason3 said:I get what you're saying. Are you suggesting the best way to settle the clash between those primal, hierarchical instincts—that whole "alpha" mindset—and our modern, individualistic liberal values is to just project them onto imaginary beings? 😳

There isn't much to understand here, really. 😁

casualcanyon3 said:Elevating humility to the status of a virtue is nothing more than the most pedestrian attempt to rationalize one's own spiritual frailty and inherent masochism. To me, it sounds like someone trying to dress up a personal perversion as some higher, more noble calling just to lend themselves a shred of credibility. Frankly, I find seeing a submissive, "humble" individual to be utterly repulsive. It reaches a point where I feel a genuine impulse to give them a kick in the teeth. Figuratively speaking, of course.

The problem is that the local dialect makes you think of "humiliation."

But the actual concept has nothing to do with that.

Ditch that word for a second and just try to imagine a state of consciousness where you perceive, practice, and "listen" from a place of superiority. You know, the exact opposite of an ego trip or narcissism.

That specific aspect of consciousness? That’s a character virtue.

hiddenhound3 said:There isn't much to understand here, really. 😁

Actually, there's plenty to get when you realize what character actually is and how it dictates a person's capacity and limits. Especially when we're talking about metaphysical development.

hollowpuma762 said:The problem is that the local dialect makes you think of "humiliation."

But the actual concept has nothing to do with that.

Ditch that word for a second and just try to imagine a state of consciousness where you perceive, practice, and "listen" from a place of superiority. You know, the exact opposite of an ego trip or narcissism.

That specific aspect of consciousness? That’s a character virtue.

Actually, there's plenty to get when you realize what character actually is and how it dictates a person's capacity and limits. Especially when we're talking about metaphysical development.

What you’re describing is what I personally call modesty. To me, being "humble" feels like a total loss of dignity. You don't have to surrender your self-respect just to understand, acknowledge, or learn from something superior. You don't need to grovel—which is exactly what humility feels like to me—just to show respect.

casualcanyon3 said:What you’re describing is what I personally call modesty. To me, being "humble" feels like a total loss of dignity. You don't have to surrender your self-respect just to understand, acknowledge, or learn from something superior. You don't need to grovel—which is exactly what humility feels like to me—just to show respect.

Look, it doesn't matter what you think, or what kind of labels you want to slap on things.
Nobody sat down and designed a spiritual doctrine specifically to fit your local slang, let alone your personal vocabulary. A serious school of thought isn't going to bend itself just to cater to you. If anything, it's the other way around if you actually want to learn something. A lot of these terms are archaic for a reason, and banging your head against the literal definition of a word isn't exactly a productive way to spend your time.

When someone passes a concept down to you, you interpret it the way they teach it—not how you feel like it should be. Otherwise, you're just indulging in fantasies and tossing away the essential truths sitting right under your nose, turning the whole thing into a game of broken telephone. People on these forums just post whatever comes to mind without any context, so there's this constant tendency to play philosopher based on the first random thought that pops into your head.
A priest (or anyone actually worth listening to about this stuff) puts these things into clear context. They use real-life examples. Has anyone here actually suggested that "humility" means a loss of dignity in this context?

hollowpuma762 said:Look, it doesn't matter what you think, or what kind of labels you want to slap on things.
Nobody sat down and designed a spiritual doctrine specifically to fit your local slang, let alone your personal vocabulary. A serious school of thought isn't going to bend itself just to cater to you. If anything, it's the other way around if you actually want to learn something. A lot of these terms are archaic for a reason, and banging your head against the literal definition of a word isn't exactly a productive way to spend your time.

When someone passes a concept down to you, you interpret it the way they teach it—not how you feel like it should be. Otherwise, you're just indulging in fantasies and tossing away the essential truths sitting right under your nose, turning the whole thing into a game of broken telephone. People on these forums just post whatever comes to mind without any context, so there's this constant tendency to play philosopher based on the first random thought that pops into your head.
A priest (or anyone actually worth listening to about this stuff) puts these things into clear context. They use real-life examples. Has anyone here actually suggested that "humility" means a loss of dignity in this context?

Actually, it matters immensely. I wasn't attempting to lecture anyone on some established religion or a specific worldview; I was simply articulating my own personal interpretation of a concept.

Quincy:

No one is out there designing a doctrine specifically to cater to your local—let alone your personal—vocabulary. No serious system of thought is going to bend itself over backward just to suit your preferences.

I don't require someone to tailor a entire belief system to fit my private lexicon just so I can express how I personally experience a certain idea. At no point in my post did I claim to be discussing any specific "public" spiritual tradition.

Quincy:

If you actually want to learn, it works the other way around. Many of these terms are archaic, and splitting hairs over semantics is frankly a waste of time.

I am not splitting hairs; I am stating my perspective. A little less arrogance in this conversation wouldn't hurt you.

Quincy:

You interpret the concept being taught based on how the teacher presents it, not however you feel like it.

Does someone hold a monopoly on the concept of humility, such that I am somehow forbidden from describing how I personally perceive it? 😕

Quincy:

Instead, people just fantasize and reject the essential truths right in front of them, reducing everything to a game of telephone. People post all sorts of nonsense on this forum without any context, leading to a tendency to philosophize about whatever random thought pops into their heads. While a priest (or anyone with actual authority on the subject) would provide clear context, often using real-life examples. Has anyone here suggested that "humility" implies a loss of dignity?

I don't need a priest to provide me with context. I am perfectly capable of doing that myself. Nor do I need someone else to suggest that I am losing my dignity just so I can realize whether or not I am losing it through humility.

As far as I am concerned, human beings were not designed to kneel, whether metaphorically or literally, before anyone or anything. To me, that act of kneeling feels fundamentally wrong.

casualcanyon3 said:Actually, it matters immensely. I wasn't attempting to lecture anyone on some established religion or a specific worldview; I was simply articulating my own personal interpretation of a concept.

Quincy:

No one is out there designing a doctrine specifically to cater to your local—let alone your personal—vocabulary. No serious system of thought is going to bend itself over backward just to suit your preferences.

I don't require someone to tailor a entire belief system to fit my private lexicon just so I can express how I personally experience a certain idea. At no point in my post did I claim to be discussing any specific "public" spiritual tradition.

Quincy:

If you actually want to learn, it works the other way around. Many of these terms are archaic, and splitting hairs over semantics is frankly a waste of time.

I am not splitting hairs; I am stating my perspective. A little less arrogance in this conversation wouldn't hurt you.

Quincy:

You interpret the concept being taught based on how the teacher presents it, not however you feel like it.

Does someone hold a monopoly on the concept of humility, such that I am somehow forbidden from describing how I personally perceive it? 😕

Quincy:

Instead, people just fantasize and reject the essential truths right in front of them, reducing everything to a game of telephone. People post all sorts of nonsense on this forum without any context, leading to a tendency to philosophize about whatever random thought pops into their heads. While a priest (or anyone with actual authority on the subject) would provide clear context, often using real-life examples. Has anyone here suggested that "humility" implies a loss of dignity?

I don't need a priest to provide me with context. I am perfectly capable of doing that myself. Nor do I need someone else to suggest that I am losing my dignity just so I can realize whether or not I am losing it through humility.

As far as I am concerned, human beings were not designed to kneel, whether metaphorically or literally, before anyone or anything. To me, that act of kneeling feels fundamentally wrong.

You missed the point. He acts as that teacher whose definitions you have to accept if you want to make any spiritual progress. 🧐

Go kneel on some gravel as punishment. ☕

It’s eating away at my ego like a bad habit.

Look, it’s fine.
Some people get way too high on their own supply, falling in love with their own mental projections until they hit a wall, while others just... don't. They move on.

The endless, exhausting tug-of-war over the "meaning" of theological or philosophical concepts—concepts that are basically just words wrapped up and translated into another language to begin with... It’s pointless. People just grab whatever word suits their specific bias, pulling things completely out of context in their own language, without any guidance, zero education, and absolutely no desire to actually learn anything. It's just noise.

Now, for those of you who aren't constantly tripping over your own ego or pride—people who actually get what we're talking about here—Joseph Bailey41 offered to show us just how shallow and stupid things get when the ego takes the wheel and stops listening to what's actually happening in the mind.

In those moments, reality gets twisted into whatever shape makes the observer feel good, basically just manufacturing illusions. That’s why "humility" matters. It keeps your head from spinning out and keeps your mind from being suffocated by all that ego nonsense.

It’s not about being submissive, though. Not at all. It’s more like a stage of emotional maturity, a sign of actual character development defined by the relationship between sebe and the world, which ultimately dictates how you deal with the world.

Joseph Bailey41 said:You missed the point. He acts as that teacher whose definitions you have to accept if you want to make any spiritual progress. 🧐

Go kneel on some gravel as punishment. ☕

hollowpuma762 said:Now, for those of you who aren't constantly tripping over your own ego or pride—people who actually get what we're talking about here—Joseph Bailey41 offered to show us just how shallow and stupid things get when the ego takes the wheel and stops listening to what's actually happening in the mind.

In those moments, reality gets twisted into whatever shape makes the observer feel good, basically just manufacturing illusions. That’s why "humility" matters. It keeps your head from spinning out and keeps your mind from being suffocated by all that ego nonsense.

It’s not about being submissive, though. Not at all. It’s more like a stage of emotional maturity, a sign of actual character development defined by the relationship between sebe and the world, which ultimately dictates how you deal with the world.

Meanwhile, your comments feel more like things being expelled from a different part of the body when someone loses control of their bowels. ☕

And honestly, that's just one of many reasons why I feel such deep disgust toward this concept pushed by those patriarchal, monotheistic religions.

hollowpuma762 said:It’s eating away at my ego like a bad habit.

Look, it’s fine.
Some people get way too high on their own supply, falling in love with their own mental projections until they hit a wall, while others just... don't. They move on.

The endless, exhausting tug-of-war over the "meaning" of theological or philosophical concepts—concepts that are basically just words wrapped up and translated into another language to begin with... It’s pointless. People just grab whatever word suits their specific bias, pulling things completely out of context in their own language, without any guidance, zero education, and absolutely no desire to actually learn anything. It's just noise.

Having an opinion doesn't mean you lack the will to study, to seek guidance, or to actually think critically. You've simply taken your entire interpretation of my stance, my ego, and my worldview, and projected it onto me based entirely on your own preconceived notions.

You might want to dial back the arrogance when it comes to your "spiritual insights."

Joseph Bailey41 said:Meanwhile, your comments feel more like things being expelled from a different part of the body when someone loses control of their bowels. ☕

And honestly, that's just one of many reasons why I feel such deep disgust toward this concept pushed by those patriarchal, monotheistic religions.

Honestly, anyone who hasn't spent enough time reading the actual Philosophy department archives might think this whole rhetorical circus—this attempt at a magazine-style breakdown of the ego and the pot/lid game—is some original brainchild of the author. Instead, it's just a blatant carbon copy of my own posts and my analogy about uncontrolled guts spewing stupidity straight from the brain.

Joseph Bailey41 said:Meanwhile, your comments feel more like things being expelled from a different part of the body when someone loses control of their bowels. ☕

And honestly, that's just one of many reasons why I feel such deep disgust toward this concept pushed by those patriarchal, monotheistic religions.

Look, if we focused more on actual education and less on the ego, we'd realize this concept is cross-cultural. It's woven into almost every serious discipline aimed at consciousness development. It isn't just some niche byproduct of what the uneducated mistake for "monotheistic patriarchal religion" thanks to recent ideological propaganda.

If you're lucky enough to find some sense along the way, you might actually grasp why it works this way—and maybe then that feeling of disgust toward your own windmills will finally fade.

hollowpuma762 said:Honestly, anyone who hasn't spent enough time reading the actual Philosophy department archives might think this whole rhetorical circus—this attempt at a magazine-style breakdown of the ego and the pot/lid game—is some original brainchild of the author. Instead, it's just a blatant carbon copy of my own posts and my analogy about uncontrolled guts spewing stupidity straight from the brain.

Look, if we focused more on actual education and less on the ego, we'd realize this concept is cross-cultural. It's woven into almost every serious discipline aimed at consciousness development. It isn't just some niche byproduct of what the uneducated mistake for "monotheistic patriarchal religion" thanks to recent ideological propaganda.

If you're lucky enough to find some sense along the way, you might actually grasp why it works this way—and maybe then that feeling of disgust toward your own windmills will finally fade.

Those aren't my "personal windmills"—it's just stuff every woman deals with on a regular basis. And as for "education"... I've had plenty of that already. 😁

https://www.guernicamag.com/rebecca-...-things-to-me/