The Importance of Humility
Recently, I came across a quote that struck me:
“Remember to always be a ‘I have to work on that’ in a world full of ‘That’s just how I am.’”
The more I thought about it, the more I realized this isn’t really a quote about growth. It’s a quote about humility.
Humility has gotten a bad reputation. People often mistake it for weakness, insecurity or thinking less of yourself.
But true humility isn’t thinking less of yourself.
It’s being honest about yourself.
It’s having the courage to acknowledge both your strengths and your shortcomings.
It’s being confident enough to say:
“I got that wrong.”
“I need to improve.”
“I have more to learn.”
“I need to work on that.”
The older I get, the more I realize that growth and humility are inseparable. The moment we believe we’ve arrived, we stop learning.
The moment we believe our habits, reactions and behaviours are simply “who we are,” we stop challenging ourselves to become better.
I don’t know anyone who has healthy relationships, strong leadership skills or a meaningful life without a willingness to look in the mirror and acknowledge their own blind spots.
Recently, while learning about my own saboteurs through the Positive Intelligence assessment, I found myself feeling uncomfortable with some of what I discovered.
Part of me wanted to defend it.
Part of me wanted to explain it.
But humility asked something different of me. It asked me to simply acknowledge it. To recognize that I still have work to do.
Not because I’m failing.
Not because I’m broken.
But because I’m human.
The truth is that every strength has a shadow side. The same determination that helps us succeed can make us stubborn. The same independence that helps us survive can make it difficult to ask for help. The same confidence that helps us lead can sometimes make it difficult to listen.
Humility allows us to see both sides.
It keeps us teachable.
It keeps us curious.
It keeps us growing.
And perhaps that’s why some of the wisest people I’ve ever met are also the most humble. Not because they know less, but because they know there is always more to learn.
So here’s the question I’ve been asking myself lately:
Where am I saying, “That’s just how I am”?
And what might change if I replaced it with:
“I need to work on that.”
Because growth begins where defensiveness ends. And humility is what gets us there.