The lost art of humility...

In the event you are not familiar with the definition of the word humility it is "the quality or state of being humble." Now just in case you do not know the definition of of humble it is "not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive, reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission." I realize I could continue to define deference and submission here but I would hope you all know the definitions or at least get the point.

I have this warped sense of reality in believing that certain social situations should be entered into with at least some level of humility. It amazes me how few people still believe that when entering into a new group of people you exorcised humility. I am a firm believer in the sit back and quietly observe philosophy when introduced into a new social setting.

Thus far in my life I have met a variety of people who have held fairly high profile positions; ok so really aside from the random celebrities at the airport and golf tournaments I have met some top Walmart executives no one really " bigger" than that but come on how much bigger than that does it really get? I have not met Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela nor Mahatma Gandhi. Of the WM executives I have met I can say that in three of the four the level of humility made it a true honor to meet these men (the one left a little to be desired but that honestly did not surprise me). When I think of the three public figures I sense an immense humility (again perhaps it is my warped sense of reality).

Now don't get me wrong I can be arrogant and full of myself but in most cases I think you all know that is me being silly and far from the truth (well now I am wondering again about that darned warped reality????).

I watch new people join social settings and to my knowledge these people have not successfully run the largest retailer in the world. They have not been pivotal figures in modern social and political activism, yet they seem to think they should be treated as though they have cured cancer. Now lets take step back here, would you be in my social circle if you were really "all that"?

For the most part it is fairly easy to group the people who come and go in our lives into segments of personalities (well clearly it is easy if it wasn't there would not be so many personality profiling systems out there).

If it wasn't for the fact that I prefer to walk a path of humility in this life I would really like to laugh in the faces of those who do not. Instead I sit back and watch as they walk the path of so many others who came before them and just shake my head while they believe they will change the world.