The Most Beautiful Trait
Why humility helps humanity.
Being a hostess has a few perks to it. It’s not always easy, and it’s certainly not the most glamorous job I could have. I really enjoy it, though. Sometimes I get free food, sometimes I get a little cash for cleaning tables, and sometimes I meet really incredible people. Today was Veteran’s Day, and the amount of incredible people that stepped into Chili’s was astounding.
It’s not necessarily that most of the people I met today were Veterans. It’s more about how these Veterans treated me. None of them were rude or frustrated with wait times. None of them were in a rush or picky about their food. All of them were just — kind. After talking to so many, I’ve come to the grand conclusion that Veterans are the most humble group I’ve met.
For the holiday, we had a little Veteran’s Day menu, offering 7 different entrees free of charge to those actively or previously in the military. To avoid confusion, I would ask every party who walked in if any of them were a Veteran. I did this for five hours straight, and not a single one of them seemed truly excited to say “I am.” It’s easy for all of us to be in awe of the work the military puts towards keeping us safe here in the U.S., but for those truly involved, it’s almost as if they don’t realize how special their actions are.
After thinking about this, I’ve decided that humility has got to be the world’s most beautiful trait a person can possess. The Oxford Dictionary defines “Humility” as: “a modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.” Overall, I’d say that’s quite spot-on. Take a second to think about the kindest people you know, the ones that really try to make everyone around them happy. They may do things for others, or even just try to leave the world better than they found it. These sorts of people are genuine because they don’t truly realize how their actions impact those around them.
Interestingly enough, I’ve actually found where a lot of people talk badly about being humble. Some use the argument that humility is just the act of neglecting yourself and your wishes, but I don’t think this is true at all. For the humble people of the world, they want to make others happy. Seeing happiness within those they care about makes them happy. Being humble doesn’t mean you don’t care about yourself, it just means that you care for others as well.
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less.” -C.S. Lewis
Veterans embody this mantra in a beautiful way, because the whole idea of signing up for the military is really just a giant act of humility. Joining the service is a dangerous act, but people don’t do it because they don’t care about themselves, they do it because they care about the people around them. Humility also serves as a guide through transitions and learning experiences, because humble people understand that there’s always room for growth, and I’d argue that those who really live humbly are the most open to change. This is because, often times, they want to progress and succeed to help others in a larger way. Learning leads to opportunities, and opportunities lead to changing the world for the better, just as most humble people strive to do.
The best thing about humility is the fact that it’s pure, because you only decide people are humble based off of their actions. A lot of other traits are based off of the words people speak, but being humble is shown through actions. Often times, we realize people’s true intentions because their actions differ from their words. That’s why humility is so lovely, and so rare to find! Humble people don’t know of their humility, and that is the primary reason why they’re the way they are.
As people, I think we can all work to be a bit more humble, and I think it’s a trait that can be learned. The basis of it is to be kind, be understanding, and be aware of those around you. It’s amazing what you can do once you become the listener, instead of the talker. Lives can be changed through little actions, and if that’s not motivating enough to do nice things for people, I don’t know what is! I wish you all a wonderful rest of your week, and hope you use this as a reason to try to be a little more humble. After all, the best thing you can do is leave the world better than you found it, one step at a time.
