Article December 7, 1907 Issue

THE VALUE OF HUMILITY

MALCOLM BRUCE MILNE

In order to understand clearly what is meant by the word humility, we may have to go back to its original form. In Latin it means "on the ground," from humus, the earth or ground. Starting with this definition we get at once two meanings very different in kind. The first is lowly, mean, abased, groveling, that is to say, a bad sense. The other means simply, not proud, not arrogant, not assuming—a good sense. Webster gives a few definitions under the heading of "humility" which are very useful in assisting us to appreciate the meanings of the various words akin to it. "Diffidence is a distrust of our powers, combined with a fear lest failure should bring censure. Modesty, without supporting self-distrust, implies an unwillingness to put ourselves forward and an absence of all overconfidence in our own powers. Humility consists in rating our claims low, in being willing to take a lower place than might be our due. It does not require us to underrate ourselves. The humility of Jesus was perfect, yet he had a true sense of his own greatness." It is possible that to many people humility is connected solely with the thought of abjectness, and that the word in its true sense has no meaning for them. It is of this false sense of humility that we must rid ourselves. Many years ago, when I was learning French, I spent many happy hours in the company of an old retired French officer of artillery. He was a man of very great intelligence and one whom contact with the world had broadened and polished. He was a delightful guide, philosopher, and friend. I sometimes used to go to him with a passage which I could not properly translate, but he would never tell me at first the correct rendering. He always said to me, "Cherchez l'idee" [Search for the underlying idea]. That was the dominant note in his character; he was always trying to find out what was at the back of a thing; in other words, what the thing really meant.

Now let us look for the idea which underlies the word humility. Why should Jesus have laid such stress on humility? It must surely mean something other than mere abject groveling. Suppose we wish to learn about something,—no matter what it may be,—we must go to some one who knows all about it, or who at least knows more than we do, and listen to what he has to say. There must be no arrogance, no prejudice in our attitude. It would be foolish to go to a professor of mathematics for instruction and then assume that we know as much as he. We must be humble; that is to say, we must not make a great display of the little we know to the exclusion of every chance of learning something fresh from him; we must be willing to be taught.

If, then, there is need of humility, should we wish to learn something of a subject like mathematics, much more need is there for us to practise humility if we are to learn anything of the infinite laws of Divine intelligence, as revealed on a demonstrable basis in the Christian Science text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy. It is only the ignorant man who is arrogant and stiff-necked: the wise man is always humble, for he has learned enough to know that there is more and more to be learned.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

"THE BEST MEDICINE IS A CHEERFUL HEART"