How To Develop Humility?

[Simon Håkansson]

Hello everyone!

I have found a real obstacle for my growth. That is that I don´t have a real sense of humility. In school I have been told by my teachers and friends that I´m a very intelligent person. This is something that my family also have told me and I do believe that it´s true due to my grades (I have aced every topic). I also have a very high ambition level and vision for my life that constantly drives me forward, especially in my thirst for knowledge and understanding. It´s not that I don´t see my potential in life, but that I can´t and don´t want to see my shortcomings, especially when I have done personal development for a while I start to perceive myself as "above people" (I have meditated for two years now and the last year I have meditated for one hour a day).

I don´t want to have this arrogance towards other people and yet I do not have a clue how I should do to put myself down to earth. If I told myself that I don´t think that I´m smarter than the people around me, or that I´m not getting stuff done, I would be lying to myself.

If anyone got any tips for me, that would be nice.  

Edited April 14, 2017 by Simon Håkansson

[Arkandeus]

very nice...your post shows the truth. 

You long to stop seeing people in that light, yet you know that you see them in that light.

So do you really see people in that light if you desire to not see them that way anymore? 
This is a very nice entry point into learning about awareness. 

Your belief system has changed, but your reality and your perception still has to follow.


You are aware of people in a certain way, and the way you are aware of them bothers you. 
You want to be aware of people in a new way, more expansive, more loving. 

So don't identify with your arrogance you are already above it. 
Your very desire to change is proof that you're not arrogant anymore. 

Now about your perception of people, it will slowly change over time. 
You've already done the hardest and most important part, you admitted what was going on and you desire to change. 
Soon you will see people in an entirely new light, and I guarantee you that you will be surprised. 

Arrogance is really an illusion, people are very intelligent, from the guy who takes your trash away to the cashier to the ceo.
when you see and understand this, you'll be in another dimension quite literally, which is why spirituality is awesome

 

Edited April 14, 2017 by Arkandeus

[SFRL]

Not saying that your post is not true. 

But at the same time you have to be carefull that people are not trying to talk you down, "subdue" you so to say. 

You got to be carefull when people label you with words as "arrogant", "immature", or "unprofessional".

Those are words often thrown out there to make you step down. But their meaning is kind of flighty, and they are losely used by people pushing their agenda.  

[Simon Håkansson]

Bump

[Socrates]

On 14/4/2017 at 5:41 PM, Simon Håkansson said:

I do believe that it´s true due to my grades

Intelligence has nothing to do with grades.

If you are actually intelligent though you are going to realize that the majority of people aren't. That doesn't mean you are going to be arrogant, more like accepting that this is life. Be careful of people labeling you with words like arrogant, they may be insecure about their own worth.

what  if you actually are smarter than your people around you? Should you deny this fact? No, just accept it but there is no reason to state it verbaly.
The best use of your intelligence is for motivation to improve your emotional intelligence and your knowledge. Also if you are the smartest man in a room, leave the fucking room.

[dorg]

Ok, so you have a great intellect, but this does not necessarily mean that you have intelligence. Others may have way more intelligence - as you acknowledge by asking a question.

Acknowledgment of not having intelligence is acknowledgement of humility

 

[WaterfallMachine]

Arrogance is not measured by how big you see yourself as. I was going through a similar situation when I read Nelson Mandela's biography, someone who spent his life trying to figure out how to free Africa from racism. He was always humble, admitting his mistakes and respected the people even if they were were below him in status as president. But yet, he had the confidence to change things even if that dragged him to prison before.

Arrogance is simply when you do not take time to realize your mistakes, whether as an utter failure or an utter success. Humility is not thinking of yourself as horrible in something. 

Another useful way of seeing things was from an anime Mob Psycho 100 which from its title sounds like the last place you'd go to for spiritual advice, but trust me on this. 

Shigeo in the show was a shy kid who was gifted with amazing psychic powers, able to hurl massive objects with his mind and exorcise powerful evil spirits. . Reigen, a psychic conman, decided to take him in his business as a child. As his "student", Shigeo earnestly remembers his master's first words of advice. It went something like this. "Remember. You are not special. Yes, you're gifted with psychic powers. But no. It's the same as people who get high grades, people who are amazing in sports, people who have great social skills and are popular in school. Everyone has something they're good at and this is what you're good at."

Later in the anime, Shigeo and his friends would go defeat in summary a bunch of powerful psychics. They were arrogant. They wanted power. They believed they could take over the world and were trying to. They were an organized institution. Yet in the end, everyone was punneled to the ground in defeat. Reigen would say that they were nothing and they weren't special. But as Shigeo mentions, his powers did not give him high grades in school or popularity. He wasn't that good in a lot of things. He recognized that being powerful at one thing didn't cure his low self esteem. He was human. And these evil doers in humiliation, came to realize they were human too.

Basically, you might know a lot of things but there are many things other people know more than you. There are people who have to spend years in school and career for an understanding of an expertise.. People with specific experience with a problem in their lives. People who are jack of all trades. People with different interests and talents. Ask, "What do you not know?" Something humanity doesn't know. Something other people know. I meditated on this question for a long time and I came to understand. 

Sounds a bit cheesy maybe? Heh. But I loved that show.

Edited April 18, 2017 by WaterfallMachine