The 3rd Trust: I will never boast, but cherish humility instead.

The 3rd Trust: I will never boast, but cherish humility instead.

On the surface, "humility" appears to afford little value in today’s society. Most of us scarcely think about it at all. When we do, it runs against our commercialized way of thinking about ourselves. Common wisdom tells us to do everything we can to impress people, “selling oneself” in order to be liked or get ahead. In this regard, our culture is shaping as if we are nothing more than commodities on the market.

While there may be social and economic benefits to that, no one is asking what we become in the process. What happens to human nature when we predominantly define ourselves by notoriety and profit?

Humility provides us with the means of reclaiming who we really are. It is far from a downplay of our potential. It is a liberation from ego that brings us new life. It frees us from psychological entanglements that restrain us from authentic living.

Ego is an image that we hold of ourselves, often described as a psychological mask or façade. It is not who we are, but what we pretend to be. As such, we often use it as a primary perspective for everything we do.

This is seriously different to confronting the world directly. Ego pulls us away from who we really are, for the sake of image. It shapes our thoughts and how we see other people. Because of that, an economy that places the acquisition of wealth before anything else, including human integrity, finds it profitable to exploit the power of ego. This is why we are constantly bombarded with ads that attempt to manipulate our needs and desires. We are not seen as people anymore. We are "consumers," elements in an economic machine whose sole purpose is defined by entrepreneurial opportunities.

The trappings of ego make these weaknesses possible.

What happens when we place ego aside and choose humility instead?

First of all, we experience a quietness of mind that allows clearer perceptions of the world around us. We become capable of judging the value of something for what it is, and not solely for how it benefits our self-image. In this regard, humility allows not only a clearer conduit toward truth, but a greater understanding and experience of ourselves.

That is what we mean by humility. It is not the shy, insecurity of low self-esteem that commercialized values would portray it. Humility is being true to oneself. It allows us to rise above selfish concerns and truly serve the advancement of humanity as warriors of light.