John Buttrick of Concord can be reached at johndbuttrick@gmail.com.
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” – Proverbs 11:2
We humans are a proud species. Our unique brains give us insight and abilities that have allowed us to transform the earth and dominate all its creatures. (And don’t forget about the opposable thumb we learned about in school!) We have advanced from the wheel to rockets, caves to skyscrapers, fire to nuclear power, smoke signals to satellites and the internet. Machines that make machines and the complexity of processes to transform natural resources for our benefit are absolutely amazing.
Also, for good and ill, we’ve formed tribes and communities, kingdoms and democracies, armies and aid organizations. Yet it’s difficult to take pride in a species that allows millions to starve, that withholds access to healthcare or housing; a species that inflicts destructive war among the weak, and confuses bullying and unbridled pride of tribe as freedom.
Neither is there pride in privilege and good fortune. Deep down we know this. Yet successful leaders in politics, the military, finance, and industry protect their pride by protesting too much. They replay again and again how they overcame poverty, an absent parent, or other obstacles.
Many of us have stories to boost our pride. I walked a mile uphill to school and uphill back home each day, always facing into the wind while trudging through deep snow. It is my proud story and I stick to it! You see, unchecked pride can lead to a crack in character and invite skepticism from others.
The Proud Boys are an example of pride gone wild. Unwarranted pride is one of the prime factors feeding the divisiveness rampant in our government and society. Political parties, white supremacists, the Christian right, and nationalism are prime examples of choosing pride over truth and reconciliation. Unwarranted pride seriously threatens the survival of democracy and America’s place in the international community. Proudly flaunting United States’ superiority of its military, democracy, and culture diminishes the dignity of other nations and risks their mistrust.
An alternative to unbridled pride is humility. Jeff Boss, former contributor to Forbes magazine, wrote, “To be humble is not to think less of oneself, but to think of oneself less.”
Think about the atoms and molecules (dust) forming the earth, spinning and traveling across the cosmos, rivaling the speed of light. Think about the infinite array of possible micro combinations forming the earth’s natural resources. Think about the creation of the oceans, the mountains, (including New Hampshire’s granite), and every living thing. Think about those infinite DNA patterns of micro particles held together by forces of motion, mass, and positive/negative charges, creating all life forms, of which human beings are one.
Grounded on this earth, it is humbling to gaze into the night sky projecting the story of the expanding cosmos, flashing meteor showers, and at times playfully winking Northern lights on the earth’s horizon. I’m humbled standing next to centuries-old trees or when I lived at the foot of Mt. Kearsarge or even contemplating the adeptness of mutating viruses or the ability of migrating butterflies.
I’m humbled in the presence and power of lightning flashes during a rainstorm or standing in a gentle spring shower watching the bright greening of tomato plants. Taking time to ponder our place in the scope of creation can produce feelings of healthy humility and be a corrective for deceptive imperious pride.
Humility defangs false pride. It helps citizens strive for “a more perfect union,” recognizing that we’re not there yet. For example, it may free us to look toward a future that includes women with full autonomy over their bodies, the end of racism, reconciliation with native Americans, a resonance with the environment of the earth, the end of the pain of hunger, homelessness, and marginalization, the end of abusive power, and a country that welcomes people from many cultures, faiths, traditions, talents, and ancestry.
Humility makes room for healthy pride. Not pride in who we are, but pride in what we can accomplish. Americans may take pride in recognizing there is more truth to discover. We humans can be proud actors grounded in humility.
"Opinion" - Google News
September 10, 2022 at 05:07PM
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Opinion: A case for humility - Concord Monitor
"Opinion" - Google News
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