On Humility

I guess I've always been way left of politically correct and when it comes to raising my daughters, still I stand firm in my beliefs, even as they contradict the conventional wisdom. Many may see humility as a weakness and we want our children to grow up strong, so why do I see it as so important, for several reasons.

It stems from the idea that fault we find in others is what we see as fault in our own being. With humility I think a child, especially a daughter, can gain the proper perspective on themselves, they can see themselves for who they really are. The tricky part becomes balancing her need to feel special and unique in a fathers eyes and knowing that every person has equal worth.

I've found the best way to teach humility is to live it, as with anything you want your child to embrace, humility must be modeled. If you love music or reading, the best way to instill that love in your child is by doing it, humility is no different.

This has been one of the hardest things as a man I have had to learn to do but what alternative do I have, to deceive my self and in turn them? Life is bigger then just me and just thinking about them has been a jumping off point for me, but it must also encompass the whole of humanity; you must strive for success in life but also help those around you.

Making understanding of who you are, where you are going, and where you come from paramount will only help my girls to fulfill their potential but it must be accurate. If they see themselves honestly they will be grounded in the real world and will find their true significance. They will move from self-centeredness and the sin of pride. Henry Fairlie once wrote "Pride excites us to take too much pleasure in ourselves, does not encourage us to take pleasure in our humanity, and what is commonly shared by all of us as social beings." I totally embrace this notion and will try my hardest to teach it to my daughters; that humility brings with it deep joy and satisfaction b/c it keeps us from being self-absorbed. What greater gift can I give them beyond true happiness for their lives?

Amor Fati