In a world of gluttony and glamour, humbleness is overlooked. For the most part, being humble is often associated with quietness or meekness.

It can sometimes even be portrayed as a sign of weakness. But humility is a superpower and should be taken more seriously. A lot of the time, we are taught humility in the negative sense.

Even the definition that comes up under the word humble on google is seen negatively. The definition states:

“Having or showing a modest or LOW estimate of one’s importance.”

From reading that definition, you might ask what on Earth are the benefits of being humble. Why would one seek to lower their importance and feel less than others? After all, in a capitalist society where we need to compete, this trait seems rather pointless.

However, humility is the power to unlock peace within ourselves. And after taking time to learn this trait, I now believe it can lead to a happier life. So, here are the three ways I put humility into practice to give me a better chance at living a fulfilling life.

Appreciating That There Is Still More to Be Done

We have all gone through our humbling experiences in life. These experiences can often leave us feeling uneasy and quite disappointed with ourselves. It is human to be hard on yourself and believe that you should be the best. So, when someone comes along and proves you otherwise, it does hurt.

We also encounter humbling experiences when we are complacent. We might have believed we had enough time to finish a piece of work. And it is easy to think that we can leave things for the next day and delay our time. However, when we are proven wrong, we are humbled.

Complacency can also lead us to think we have all the answers. So many times, we see sports teams in the lead losing the game. Not because they were not good enough to win, but because they grew complacent. They started to believe that they had done enough.

Humble people are happy to believe they are far from a finished product. They do not put pressure on themselves to always be right. It is through practising humility that we can grow in appreciation of our flaws.

We are all flawed in some way, but it is our attitude towards those flaws that change our approach to happiness. Humble people know that being flawed is part of being human. Therefore, they do not need to appear superior or perfect.

Unlike most, they are more than happy to embrace their failures and accept their long journey of growth. And it is here that they can find happiness in themselves rather than through the approval of others.

A Means to Practice Self Control

We all have the desire to feel important. Unfortunately, this desire can cause us to take paths we should never tread down. Things like materialism, jealously, and comparison are all things we can find ourselves doing due to our want to feel important.

Much of our desires are somewhat selfish. That is not to say they are bad, but they put ourselves first. Even people who stay in unhealthy relationships can find themselves doing it for their own “benefit”. They believe they have the power to change the situation or seek approval from the other person.

Our desire to please ourselves pushes us to accomplish many things too. We may stick with challenging tasks or become things we never imagined thanks to self-determination. However, these desires can sometimes get out of control, and I am sure we have all experienced it.

Like with most things in life, we need a balance. And being self-consumed in our own goals and desires can lead us down wrong paths. However, being humble allows us to control those desires that come from ourselves.

Through appreciating others, we can bring about qualities that require self-control. Sharing is the first one that comes to mind.

Yes, you may be hungry enough to eat the whole thing. But, if you value your friend’s hunger too, you will share with them. And this is an act of humbling yourself.

Also, a quality like patience requires humbleness too. Learning to appreciate that we can not get everything our way at our call teaches us to humble ourselves and control our impulses. And through these qualities of self-control, we can lead happier lives.

It Leaves Room to Learn

Finally, in the great words of Epictetus:

“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”

It is often someone’s pride that gets in the way of them being able to grow. When we believe that it is our way or the highway, we neglect new ideas and insights that may have helped us.

Although being proud can help self-esteem, it can also stop us from becoming better than we already are. Our happiness is dependant on our capacity to learn. It is all about learning more about ourselves, the world around us and others.

Through learning, we can broaden our understanding and reach higher levels of contentment. So, take the courage to begin practising humility today. I am sure you will find it has its powers too.