Humility can be a teachable skill

Part I

In a speech to the 1997 Pro-Miss graduating class, Vice President for Business Affairs Leah Norman revealed, "Eighty percent of my day involves the use of human skills."

The two human skills most difficult to learn are (1) self-control and (2) humility.

While humility is a major theme in the Old and New Testament, in searching through my library I was shocked to find no mention of the word. The implications here are worth pursuing. For instance, is genuine humility so rare that we don't recognize that it exists? Is the word so elusive that we don't care to discover its practical meaning? Is the practice unattainable? Why is the word humility a word of contempt for some people and the crowning grace of life for others? Finally, is there such a thing as intellectual humility? If so, is intellectual humility teachable?

For those people who feel they might benefit from a discussion of the practical nature of humility, I have put together some thoughts on the subject.

Humility and the world today. People choke on the word "humility" because they feel the trait has little practical value in our postmodern world. These people are straightforward when they cast themselves as heroes of their own stories and the single focus of their messages. Why? The answer appears simple. They believe the world encourages them to speak out if they want to get ahead. To remain silent means they will be left out, looked over, forgotten, or walked on by others. The question then arises, "Must people resort to the ways of the world to be successful in this world and what they do?"

Being humble means seeing a "bigger picture." By contrast, humility is a sign of maturity for people who are at ease with themselves and respect the needs of others. Humble people believe each person counts and people are all equal in their journey of life. Call it an overriding goal or a unifying theme that gives meaning to life's many relationships, humility prescribes the manner in which people ought to esteem their own gifts in reference to the gifts of others.

Humility is a social process. The path we shall follow looks at humility as a "genuine respect for people as social creatures." In pursuit of happiness, humble people respect their own abilities and value their accomplishments. As social creatures, they understand that they are educated in groups: problem-solve, work, eat, travel, and worship in groups. They know how important it is to establish meaningful relationships with others.

Humility emphasizes matters of faith, hope and charity. There is nothing wrong with self-reliant individualism and the single search for happiness and success. Emphasis on the personal pronoun "I" does not necessarily mean that people have turned their back on family, community, country, and religion. Some people prefer to work alone. Others find value in working together. Humility promotes a communal image of guidance and comfort that gives people something to live on, something to live for, and something that gives meaning to all lesser goals. More importantly, humility encourages matters of (1) faith in and respect for others, (2) hope for the future and (3) charity for all people - regardless of their age, gender, race, faith, and levels of education.

Humility provides a model for human relationships. Every person benefits from a sense of direction in their lives. Humility provides a model for human relationships by underscoring the importance of old sayings like "No man is an island," or "There is strength in numbers," or "Together we stand, divided we fall," or "It is more blessed to give than to receive," or "Love thy neighbor."

Humble people are considerate people. They employ integrative strategies that (1) accent and seek out counsel from others and (2) dedicate part of themselves to mutual understanding and shared problem solving. A humble person realizes that others have talents and abilities, and is delighted to help others in an attempt to enhance the whole. Humility promotes vision, peace and harmony. Humble people are visionary team members who look for ways to work together. They do this by developing a (1) fuller ear and a (2) penetrating eye when it comes to affirming the work of others. This type demeanor is exactly what some people need in order to live in peace and harmony when nobody praises them.

In a perfect world, a life of humility would be lived spontaneously. Unfortunately, humility doesn't come easily to many people. Why? Humility is a learned skill - just like playing the piano or serving a tennis ball is a skill. It is a developed ability that people don't learn by reading an article or attending a seminar. There are reasons for this. First, applied humility is a demanding experience that calls for thought and practice regarding interactions with self, others and everything else - living or dead. Second, many people don't accept the truth about themselves.

Humility communicates the truth about people. Humility would come to people quicker if they remembered their origin and nature. We came from the dust of the earth and will return to that state shortly. In our relationship with the universe, we cannot help but become humble.

At this point, you should have a good idea about the practical side of humility. Attention now shifts to teaching intellectual humility.

Intellectual humility is teachable. Humility empowers people through providing focus, and people empower humility by teaching its principles as measurable assets. There is such a thing as intellectual humility and it can be taught when instructors emphasize these strategies:

• understand that humility develops slowly;
• be sensitive to bias, prejudice and limitations of your experience;
• never assume you have all the answers;
• be open minded toward new ideas and ways of viewing the world;
• be able to distinguish what you know from what you don't know;
• be able to suspend judgment until you get more complete information about human nature;
• don't be afraid to say "I don't know" when you are not in a position to be sure;
• be willing to rethink conclusions in the light of new knowledge;
• don't overestimate what you think you have mastered;
• seek out information from a variety of sources;
• enjoy the time spent listening, talking and sharing ideas with people;
• accept the fact that you can learn a great deal from others;
• listen actively to others without interrupting, passing judgment, offering criticism, or giving advice;
• expect to find something of value in everything you hear, read and do with others;
• be non-dogmatic in the presentation of your ideas; and
• adopt a non-contentious spirit of engagement with others who may hold differing views.

Given the nature of these comments, many people might feel more comfortable with a biblical view of humility. Americans are generally regarded as highly individualistic.

Although the above statements are generalizations, they do represent a starting point that recognizes humility as a commitment to build a cooperative effort toward addressing goals.

While humility can empower the "true believer" to know, to will and work steadfastly - people must develop their own personal views toward humility to recognize the feelings and sentiments they bring to a situation.

Flick is a professor in the Department of Communication.