Harmony Deconstructed Podcast

There is a tension that exists in trust. When one  trusts blindly, they stand a chance of getting hurt, when one gets hurt, trusting again becomes difficult. Yet we cannot live without trusting ourselves, others and the systems that have been put in place to make life much easier and possible. 

“There are indeed times when one should trust blindly, just as there are times when one should not. Wisdom consists in being able to tell one from the other.” Daniel Quinn

We exercise trust often. We trust systems that have been put in place for the usual operation of things. For instance, rarely do you find anyone checking the credentials of a driver before boarding an Uber, a taxi, a bus or a train. Also seldom does anyone check the pilot’s credentials before boarding a plane. We usually go by trust. Trust that the system that enabled them to occupy those seats have done the job of ensuring they are trustworthy. Of course no system is perfect and there are occasions where untrustworthy or less qualified individuals take such positions, but generally, we trust that the systems that be, will ensure a qualified driver, a qualified pilot etc will occupy that important seat to take us to our destination. This application of trust applies to different spheres of life in varying degrees, but in essence on a daily basis, we interact with others and enterprises on the basis of trust. Warren G. Bennis said “Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.”

Our level of trust can be observed and built as we interact with others and utilize resources at our disposal that may belong to others. I suppose each action we take casts a vote as to whether we are trustworthy or not. Whichever of those two sides you fall today, is the culmination of the many trustworthy or untrustworthy interactions or actions you have done thus far.  It is notable what the Scriptures say  “Whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with a little is dishonest with a lot. If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, then who will trust you with true riches? And if you cannot be trusted with things that belong to someone else, who will give you things of your own?” Luke 16:10-12. If you think about it, these are very interesting questions and perspectives that can help us to gauge how trustworthy we are at present.Consider what George David Miller said “Trust becomes solidified when words consistently back up by deeds.” 

Clearly, being trustworthy is beneficial to us, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” The opposite is also true, if we treat others without trust, it may come back to bite us. It is like this story  told of a farmer and a baker.  Once upon a time, there lived a farmer and a baker who did business with each other. The farmer sold a pound of butter to the baker everyday and the baker sold a pound of bread loaf to the farmer. Soon, they had a good bond and became friends. One day, the baker suspected that the farmer was cheating him and that he didn’t give him a pound of butter, so he decided to weigh the butter to see if he was actually getting the right amount.

When he measured the butter, he found that he was not getting the right amount of butter from the farmer. This made him very angry and so he decided to take the poor farmer to court.

When the judge confronted the farmer with the accusation,  the farmer replied “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I had been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Everyday when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter.” If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.

There is a tension that exists in trust. When one  trusts blindly, they stand a chance of getting hurt, when one gets hurt, trusting again becomes difficult. Yet we cannot live without trusting ourselves, others and the systems that have been put in place to make life much easier and possible. 

“There are indeed times when one should trust blindly, just as there are times when one should not. Wisdom consists in being able to tell one from the other.” Daniel Quinn

We exercise trust often. We trust systems that have been put in place for the usual operation of things. For instance, rarely do you find anyone checking the credentials of a driver before boarding an Uber, a taxi, a bus or a train. Also seldom does anyone check the pilot’s credentials before boarding a plane. We usually go by trust. Trust that the system that enabled them to occupy those seats have done the job of ensuring they are trustworthy. Of course no system is perfect and there are occasions where untrustworthy or less qualified individuals take such positions, but generally, we trust that the systems that be, will ensure a qualified driver, a qualified pilot etc will occupy that important seat to take us to our destination. This application of trust applies to different spheres of life in varying degrees, but in essence on a daily basis, we interact with others and enterprises on the basis of trust. Warren G. Bennis said “Trust is the lubrication that makes it possible for organizations to work.”

Our level of trust can be observed and built as we interact with others and utilize resources at our disposal that may belong to others. I suppose each action we take casts a vote as to whether we are trustworthy or not. Whichever of those two sides you fall today, is the culmination of the many trustworthy or untrustworthy interactions or actions you have done thus far.  It is notable what the Scriptures say  “Whoever can be trusted with a little can also be trusted with a lot, and whoever is dishonest with a little is dishonest with a lot. If you cannot be trusted with worldly riches, then who will trust you with true riches? And if you cannot be trusted with things that belong to someone else, who will give you things of your own?” Luke 16:10-12. If you think about it, these are very interesting questions and perspectives that can help us to gauge how trustworthy we are at present.Consider what George David Miller said “Trust becomes solidified when words consistently back up by deeds.” 

Clearly, being trustworthy is beneficial to us, as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.” The opposite is also true, if we treat others without trust, it may come back to bite us. It is like this story  told of a farmer and a baker.  Once upon a time, there lived a farmer and a baker who did business with each other. The farmer sold a pound of butter to the baker everyday and the baker sold a pound of bread loaf to the farmer. Soon, they had a good bond and became friends. One day, the baker suspected that the farmer was cheating him and that he didn’t give him a pound of butter, so he decided to weigh the butter to see if he was actually getting the right amount.

When he measured the butter, he found that he was not getting the right amount of butter from the farmer. This made him very angry and so he decided to take the poor farmer to court.

When the judge confronted the farmer with the accusation,  the farmer replied “Your Honor, long before the baker started buying butter from me, I had been buying a pound loaf of bread from him. Everyday when the baker brings the bread, I put it on the scale and give him the same weight in butter.” If anyone is to be blamed, it is the baker.

“I want to live perfectly above the law, and make it my servant instead of my master" Brigham Young.

The law is a set of rules that govern human interaction and behaviour. Broadly speaking, it sets the standards by which everyone in society is to be judged. In fact there is a maxim or a legal principle which states that one cannot be punished for doing something that is not prohibited by law. 

The Scriptures have this concept of operating in such a way that one is living above the law. Paul teaches that if we possess some particular virtues,  there would be no law against us. He writes in Galatians 5:22 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” More on this later where Paul zeroes in on the virtue of love that encompasses all law. 

The systems of law have evolved in the sense to govern how people interact with each other and also how sovereign nations interact with each other too. As an example I was reading a story about approximately  6000 residents of Ottawa being effectively above the law. See these are people with diplomatic immunity who reside in that city but are representatives of other countries. These people with diplomatic immunity are essentially in every country and the idea is if they were to do any unlawful act, while in that foreign country,  they would be handed over to their own country’s authorities to be dealt with accordingly. So in this instance, the story talks of a vehicle that was being driven dangerously down the highway in Ottawa. As many as nine Police vehicles gave chase and apprehended the driver who was visibly drunk. The driver flashed his badge to show that he had diplomatic immunity, he was then driven to his embassy and police contacted the Foreign Affairs Department. If he was not a diplomat, the consequences would have been different, his license would be suspended and if convicted he would face a steep fine. I suppose there are many similar cases around the world. 

I think one of the most interesting conversations between Jesus and his disciples is the conversation he had with Peter about taxes. The conversation had an interesting look at the requirement to pay taxes.  The story is found in Matthew 17:24-27.  In essence Jesus who is essentially the King of heaven and earth, the Creator of all there is,  is revealing to Peter that he is literally exempt from paying taxes. However, because of the context in which they were operating, he instructs Peter to go ahead and pay the taxes anyway. And according to this passage and others, he would pay the taxes that were required in his day.

There is this article from the List.com that listed some laws that the British Royal Family is exempt from. In particular, it indicated that the Queen is exempt from paying taxes. However,  they wrote how she has voluntarily paid them since 1992. It is interesting how the tax practices of Kings centuries ago when Jesus walked the earth are in many respects seemingly still the same. 

The effects of the law on us as human beings are quite interesting. The law has the intention of directing our behaviour. It works in many respects, but again, as human nature is, some get overwhelmingly compelled to do the very opposite of what the law said. 

It appears that where there is love for something or someone, then there is no need for a law to remind us on which way to behave ourselves. Presumably, the correct and appropriate actions follow.

“I want to live perfectly above the law, and make it my servant instead of my master" Brigham Young.

The law is a set of rules that govern human interaction and behaviour. Broadly speaking, it sets the standards by which everyone in society is to be judged. In fact there is a maxim or a legal principle which states that one cannot be punished for doing something that is not prohibited by law. 

The Scriptures have this concept of operating in such a way that one is living above the law. Paul teaches that if we possess some particular virtues,  there would be no law against us. He writes in Galatians 5:22 “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” More on this later where Paul zeroes in on the virtue of love that encompasses all law. 

The systems of law have evolved in the sense to govern how people interact with each other and also how sovereign nations interact with each other too. As an example I was reading a story about approximately  6000 residents of Ottawa being effectively above the law. See these are people with diplomatic immunity who reside in that city but are representatives of other countries. These people with diplomatic immunity are essentially in every country and the idea is if they were to do any unlawful act, while in that foreign country,  they would be handed over to their own country’s authorities to be dealt with accordingly. So in this instance, the story talks of a vehicle that was being driven dangerously down the highway in Ottawa. As many as nine Police vehicles gave chase and apprehended the driver who was visibly drunk. The driver flashed his badge to show that he had diplomatic immunity, he was then driven to his embassy and police contacted the Foreign Affairs Department. If he was not a diplomat, the consequences would have been different, his license would be suspended and if convicted he would face a steep fine. I suppose there are many similar cases around the world. 

I think one of the most interesting conversations between Jesus and his disciples is the conversation he had with Peter about taxes. The conversation had an interesting look at the requirement to pay taxes.  The story is found in Matthew 17:24-27.  In essence Jesus who is essentially the King of heaven and earth, the Creator of all there is,  is revealing to Peter that he is literally exempt from paying taxes. However, because of the context in which they were operating, he instructs Peter to go ahead and pay the taxes anyway. And according to this passage and others, he would pay the taxes that were required in his day.

There is this article from the List.com that listed some laws that the British Royal Family is exempt from. In particular, it indicated that the Queen is exempt from paying taxes. However,  they wrote how she has voluntarily paid them since 1992. It is interesting how the tax practices of Kings centuries ago when Jesus walked the earth are in many respects seemingly still the same. 

The effects of the law on us as human beings are quite interesting. The law has the intention of directing our behaviour. It works in many respects, but again, as human nature is, some get overwhelmingly compelled to do the very opposite of what the law said. 

It appears that where there is love for something or someone, then there is no need for a law to remind us on which way to behave ourselves. Presumably, the correct and appropriate actions follow.

Kindness is an enabler of harmony. It perpetuates harmony within a person and harmony with others. It is the lubricant of harmony, it keeps things going smoothly and pleasantly. 

“A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.” Chinese Proverb

Kindness is defined in Oxford Dictionary as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. This quality as we’ll explore in this episode has  immense benefits for both the doer and the receiver of a kind act. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be kind, kind to ourselves, to the people close to us and to the people we encounter as we go about our daily activities. 

I recall a Swahili story I read many years ago of a conversation between a rich man and a poor man. The rich man noticed how the poor man’s wife was very healthy and good looking. The rich man’s wife had everything she needed yet it puzzled the rich man that she was not looking healthy and happy. 

So the rich man approached the poor man one day and asked him what his secret was. Why was his wife looking so healthy, what food had he been giving her, what was the secret, he asked. “Quite frankly” he said, “I have been giving her the choicest of foods, she has all manner of luxuries, she even does not labour much for there are many servants to help us with our work.”

The poor man acknowledged that he did not have all the resources to provide a lavish lifestyle for his wife. However, he told the rich man that his secret was the tongue or to put it bluntly “the meat of the tongue”. He said his secret was that he made every effort to give his wife tongue meat. He ensured that of all things, he should not miss doing this particular one. 

 The rich man was grateful to the poor man for telling him the secret. He took off since he had no time to waste and he needed to attend to his wife. He went to his vast estate and instructed his servants to slaughter several cows, goats and sheep and to bring their tongues. He then preserved some of the tongues while some were prepared as a special delicacy for his wife. So for a long time, his wife ate the tongue meat, specially prepared and the rich man hoped to see a big change in her health and appearance. However, there was no much difference in how his wife looked after several months of trying out this secret. 

The frustrated rich man decided to go back to the poor man to update him and let him know that his secret was fake. It was not working. He felt deceived and taken for granted by the poor man. So he told him “I did all that you told me, I have given my wife tongue meat for several months but there is no change, did you deceive me?!” 

The visibly puzzled poor man said “oh my! So you have been feeding your wife tongue meat every day?!” “Yes indeed” said the rich man. “You must have misunderstood me, what I meant is that the secret is meat from the tongue, that is kind and endearing words from me to my wife, that is my secret!”

 In the book of Proverbs in the Bible chapter 11:17 say “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself”. In some ways, scientists have proven this fact. There is this YouTube video that talks about kindness being the only thing in the world that doubles when you share it. It describes the almost instant benefits we derive from being kind. It says that studies have shown that if you perform at least one random act of kindness a day, you will not only reduce your stress levels, anxiety and depression, but your body is flooded with the same hormones that make you and the person you have helped calmer, healthier and happier. 

Kindness is an enabler of harmony. It perpetuates harmony within a person and harmony with others. It is the lubricant of harmony, it keeps things going smoothly and pleasantly. 

“A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.” Chinese Proverb

Kindness is defined in Oxford Dictionary as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate. This quality as we’ll explore in this episode has  immense benefits for both the doer and the receiver of a kind act. For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should be kind, kind to ourselves, to the people close to us and to the people we encounter as we go about our daily activities. 

I recall a Swahili story I read many years ago of a conversation between a rich man and a poor man. The rich man noticed how the poor man’s wife was very healthy and good looking. The rich man’s wife had everything she needed yet it puzzled the rich man that she was not looking healthy and happy. 

So the rich man approached the poor man one day and asked him what his secret was. Why was his wife looking so healthy, what food had he been giving her, what was the secret, he asked. “Quite frankly” he said, “I have been giving her the choicest of foods, she has all manner of luxuries, she even does not labour much for there are many servants to help us with our work.”

The poor man acknowledged that he did not have all the resources to provide a lavish lifestyle for his wife. However, he told the rich man that his secret was the tongue or to put it bluntly “the meat of the tongue”. He said his secret was that he made every effort to give his wife tongue meat. He ensured that of all things, he should not miss doing this particular one. 

 The rich man was grateful to the poor man for telling him the secret. He took off since he had no time to waste and he needed to attend to his wife. He went to his vast estate and instructed his servants to slaughter several cows, goats and sheep and to bring their tongues. He then preserved some of the tongues while some were prepared as a special delicacy for his wife. So for a long time, his wife ate the tongue meat, specially prepared and the rich man hoped to see a big change in her health and appearance. However, there was no much difference in how his wife looked after several months of trying out this secret. 

The frustrated rich man decided to go back to the poor man to update him and let him know that his secret was fake. It was not working. He felt deceived and taken for granted by the poor man. So he told him “I did all that you told me, I have given my wife tongue meat for several months but there is no change, did you deceive me?!” 

The visibly puzzled poor man said “oh my! So you have been feeding your wife tongue meat every day?!” “Yes indeed” said the rich man. “You must have misunderstood me, what I meant is that the secret is meat from the tongue, that is kind and endearing words from me to my wife, that is my secret!”

 In the book of Proverbs in the Bible chapter 11:17 say “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself”. In some ways, scientists have proven this fact. There is this YouTube video that talks about kindness being the only thing in the world that doubles when you share it. It describes the almost instant benefits we derive from being kind. It says that studies have shown that if you perform at least one random act of kindness a day, you will not only reduce your stress levels, anxiety and depression, but your body is flooded with the same hormones that make you and the person you have helped calmer, healthier and happier. 

A mindset of harmony is important in that it determines whether we achieve harmony in our lives or not. We can only rise to the level of the degree in which our minds are set on harmony, that is a working together of things to achieve a certain goal or end.

"Your mindset matters. It affects everything - from the business and investment decisions you make, to the way you raise your children, to your stress levels and overall well-being." Peter Diamandis

According to Dr Alia Crum, mindset is defined as a lens or frame of mind which orients an individual to a particular set of associations. 

For us to live inspired harmonious lives, we should set our minds on the possibility of harmony. That harmony is attainable and is something we can grow towards. Our mindset should be that we are becoming harmonious day by day - while  being aware of it and expecting it - through every experience or circumstance we encounter in life. 

Carol Dweck is credited for the idea that people have two kinds of mindset either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. Dweck and colleagues conducted research in several schools in the US where they found the effects of a fixed mindset compared to that of a growth mindset. They put school children in two categories and gave them some academic challenges. One group was told before the tasks that they were smart and they were praised for this quality. The other group was told that they were persevering, they were praised for making great effort to solve the tasks they had been given. Overall, the children who were praised for being smart opted for less challenging tasks, while those praised for their effort were willing to take on challenging tasks to increase their learning.

In her book Mindset:The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck indicates that an individual’s attitude about how fixed their abilities and intelligence are can determine the course of much of their life, starting as early as their preschool years. She gave the following comparison of the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. 

 A Fixed Mindset  vs  A Growth Mindset

• With a fixed mindset one believes intelligence is static; while with a growth mindset one believes intelligence can be developed.
• A fixed mindset leads to a desire to look smart therefore a tendency to avoid challenges; a growth mindset leads to a desire to learn therefore a tendency to embrace challenges.
• A fixed mindset gives up easily when faced with obstacles ; a growth mindset perseveres when faced with obstacles.
• A fixed mindset sees effort as fruitless or proof of lack of talent; a growth mindset sees effort as the path to mastery.
• A fixed mindset may ignore useful negative feedback; a growth mindset learns from criticism.
• A fixed mindset may feel threatened by the success of others; a growth mindset finds lessons and inspiration from the success of others.
• For a fixed mindset, success is about proving to yourself and others that you are smart and talented; for a growth mindset success is about learning, stretching yourself and improving. 

It is therefore quite beneficial to have the growth mindset, which can lead us to surmount obstacles, learn great things and raise to a higher level than we may have initially contemplated. 

A mindset of harmony is important in that it determines whether we achieve harmony in our lives or not. We can only rise to the level of the degree in which our minds are set on harmony, that is a working together of things to achieve a certain goal or end.

"Your mindset matters. It affects everything - from the business and investment decisions you make, to the way you raise your children, to your stress levels and overall well-being." Peter Diamandis

According to Dr Alia Crum, mindset is defined as a lens or frame of mind which orients an individual to a particular set of associations. 

For us to live inspired harmonious lives, we should set our minds on the possibility of harmony. That harmony is attainable and is something we can grow towards. Our mindset should be that we are becoming harmonious day by day - while  being aware of it and expecting it - through every experience or circumstance we encounter in life. 

Carol Dweck is credited for the idea that people have two kinds of mindset either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. Dweck and colleagues conducted research in several schools in the US where they found the effects of a fixed mindset compared to that of a growth mindset. They put school children in two categories and gave them some academic challenges. One group was told before the tasks that they were smart and they were praised for this quality. The other group was told that they were persevering, they were praised for making great effort to solve the tasks they had been given. Overall, the children who were praised for being smart opted for less challenging tasks, while those praised for their effort were willing to take on challenging tasks to increase their learning.

In her book Mindset:The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck indicates that an individual’s attitude about how fixed their abilities and intelligence are can determine the course of much of their life, starting as early as their preschool years. She gave the following comparison of the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. 

 A Fixed Mindset  vs  A Growth Mindset

• With a fixed mindset one believes intelligence is static; while with a growth mindset one believes intelligence can be developed.
• A fixed mindset leads to a desire to look smart therefore a tendency to avoid challenges; a growth mindset leads to a desire to learn therefore a tendency to embrace challenges.
• A fixed mindset gives up easily when faced with obstacles ; a growth mindset perseveres when faced with obstacles.
• A fixed mindset sees effort as fruitless or proof of lack of talent; a growth mindset sees effort as the path to mastery.
• A fixed mindset may ignore useful negative feedback; a growth mindset learns from criticism.
• A fixed mindset may feel threatened by the success of others; a growth mindset finds lessons and inspiration from the success of others.
• For a fixed mindset, success is about proving to yourself and others that you are smart and talented; for a growth mindset success is about learning, stretching yourself and improving. 

It is therefore quite beneficial to have the growth mindset, which can lead us to surmount obstacles, learn great things and raise to a higher level than we may have initially contemplated. 

Humility is the virtue that we should possess but not lay claim to or boast about. As soon as you boast about it, you lose it. 

“Be mindful of humility: the gale that breaks the pine does not bruise the violet.” Austin O’Malley

Humility has been described by some scholars as the bedrock of all the other virtues. It is Augustine of Hippo who said “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues: hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should embrace humility, which will enable us to assess our capabilities rightly without conceit, so that we can utilize the gifts or talents we have and mitigate the weaknesses we have. Humility also enables us to perceive others correctly and understand them thus fostering harmony. 

According to the Greater Good Magazine article How Humility Will Make You the Greatest Person Ever, humble people “see life as a school, recognizing that while none of us is perfect, we can, without negatively impacting our self-esteem, work on our limitations by being open to new ideas, advice, and criticism.” The article adds that “Nascent research suggests that this lovely quality is good for us individually and for our relationships. For example, humble people handle stress more effectively and report higher levels of physical and mental well-being. They also show greater generosity, helpfulness, and gratitude—all things that can only serve to draw us closer to others.”

Humility means we are aware of our strengths and weaknesses. It enables us to also realize that others have their own strengths and weaknesses, therefore we should not look down on them. This is the ability to make a good judgment about our abilities and those of others without being conceited. As Charles Spurgeon said, “humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self.”  A fable is told of a boastful oak tree that looked down on reeds. On the bank of a river, there stood a tall and strong oak tree near to some reeds. The oak tree was very proud of its strength and size. He often used to make fun of the weak and slender reeds.  

One day, as a wind started blowing, the oak tree, as usual, said mockingly “Oh! Reeds you move to and fro even with the slightest breeze.” The reeds kept quiet and continued to sway back and forth. “Look at me. I am so strong and mighty. Nothing can uproot me or bend me” boasted the oak tree.

The wind got furious and turned into a hurricane. The little reeds prevented themselves from getting uprooted by bowing their heads and swaying with the rhythm of the wind. But the oak tree which stood straight and tried fighting the hurricane wind was soon uprooted and thrown into the river.

Humility is one of the virtues that has a double edged promise tied to it. The promise is that he who humbles himself or herself will be exalted but whoever exalts himself or herself, will be humbled. This was said by Jesus when he told the story of guests choosing seats of honour and he advised them otherwise.

Humility is the virtue that we should possess but not lay claim to or boast about. As soon as you boast about it, you lose it. 

“Be mindful of humility: the gale that breaks the pine does not bruise the violet.” Austin O’Malley

Humility has been described by some scholars as the bedrock of all the other virtues. It is Augustine of Hippo who said “Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues: hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” For us to live an inspired harmonious life, we should embrace humility, which will enable us to assess our capabilities rightly without conceit, so that we can utilize the gifts or talents we have and mitigate the weaknesses we have. Humility also enables us to perceive others correctly and understand them thus fostering harmony. 

According to the Greater Good Magazine article How Humility Will Make You the Greatest Person Ever, humble people “see life as a school, recognizing that while none of us is perfect, we can, without negatively impacting our self-esteem, work on our limitations by being open to new ideas, advice, and criticism.” The article adds that “Nascent research suggests that this lovely quality is good for us individually and for our relationships. For example, humble people handle stress more effectively and report higher levels of physical and mental well-being. They also show greater generosity, helpfulness, and gratitude—all things that can only serve to draw us closer to others.”

Humility means we are aware of our strengths and weaknesses. It enables us to also realize that others have their own strengths and weaknesses, therefore we should not look down on them. This is the ability to make a good judgment about our abilities and those of others without being conceited. As Charles Spurgeon said, “humility is to make a right estimate of one’s self.”  A fable is told of a boastful oak tree that looked down on reeds. On the bank of a river, there stood a tall and strong oak tree near to some reeds. The oak tree was very proud of its strength and size. He often used to make fun of the weak and slender reeds.  

One day, as a wind started blowing, the oak tree, as usual, said mockingly “Oh! Reeds you move to and fro even with the slightest breeze.” The reeds kept quiet and continued to sway back and forth. “Look at me. I am so strong and mighty. Nothing can uproot me or bend me” boasted the oak tree.

The wind got furious and turned into a hurricane. The little reeds prevented themselves from getting uprooted by bowing their heads and swaying with the rhythm of the wind. But the oak tree which stood straight and tried fighting the hurricane wind was soon uprooted and thrown into the river.

Humility is one of the virtues that has a double edged promise tied to it. The promise is that he who humbles himself or herself will be exalted but whoever exalts himself or herself, will be humbled. This was said by Jesus when he told the story of guests choosing seats of honour and he advised them otherwise.