This week my daily readings from C.S. Lewis have had the theme of humility. Today I read:
Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most
people call “humble” nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy
person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody.
Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful,
intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If
you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of
anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about
humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.
That last line is the key I think. Humility is not low self-esteem or self-contempt - it is self-forgetfulness. After all, there is so much going on out there that is far more interesting and fun than mulling over myself and my problems.
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