Humility's freedoms
Last Thursday, at the dedication of his presidential library, George W. Bush made repeated references to freedom and said: "I believe that freedom is a gift from God and the hope of every human heart." While Bush remains a polarizing figure, it is not difficult to believe that people yearn to be free.
To be sure, there is externally imposed enslavement, but often the lowest forms of imprisonment are self-imposed. We become our own worst masters as we shackle ourselves with pride. That's why humility should be so appealing - because it
liberates. Let's explore three freedoms associated with humility.
#1: Freedom to learn
When I am humble I recognize that I am not self-sufficient, never complete in myself, and certainly lacking the omniscience of our Creator. Not only am I not required to know everything, but I am free to experience the joy of continuous learning. More often than I wish to admit, I have fallen into the trap of saying I understand something I don't. Sometimes I only think I know something, sometimes I just don't want to listen to a long explanation about a subject of little interest, and then there are those times I am too embarrassed to admit my ignorance. Often I am spared the further embarrassment of being called out - of having someone demand that I demonstrate my comprehension. But there is no shame in saying, "I don't know" and even if it is something you should know already there's no benefit to lying. Either you risk exposure or you continue in your ignorance. Humility frees us from self-deification and encourages others as they share what they know with us.
#2: Freedom to make mistakes
The façade of perfection is impossible to maintain. Even dictators surrounded by trembling sycophants cannot fend off all reasonable scrutiny. "Don't confront me with my failures, I had not forgotten them," sings Jackson Browne in These Days. There is no shame in making mistakes, only in failing to grow and mature. One story I regularly share is that I had earned my PhD and was employed as a college professor before I found out that Rhode Island isn't actually an island. Worse (if that's possible), I found out from my students while teaching a course. Humility is not found in the mistake, but in how it is taken up into one's life and history. So if you won't confront me, I'll confront myself with my failures because they remind me that I make mistakes and that's OK. I've been freed from the prison of self-deceptive perfection. In my humanity I encourage others that they are free to be human as well.
#3: Freedom to need others
Vision / Alignment / Execution - these are the work of leaders. What I've discovered is that leaders typically excel at two of these three. I've never yet met the leader who excels at all three. Everyone needs the strengths of others and it is freeing to come to that realization. Our home is under renovation and numerous times during this process I have marveled at little things our contractor thinks to do that would never dawn on me until it was far too late. More than once I've said to him as he prepares to leave for the day: "I hope you're proud of what you've accomplished today - it's amazing what you're able to do." Humility releases me from solitary confinement, and allows others to experience the joy of blessing me through the expression of their strengths and gifts.
Caveat
The freedom of humility is not realized in insecurity, weakness, lack of effort, or incompetence. False humility's attempts to trap others into praising us produces, at best, a momentary sugar high that leaves us feeling even more depleted when it wears off.
Are you experiencing ever-increasing freedom from pride? Humility is the path to freedom and its rewards are sweet, to be savored in our lives and in the lives of those with whom we interact.
