“Humility is the ability to give up pride yet retain one’s dignity”- Vanna Bonta

As humans, we have a tendency to put up a good impression of ourselves in front of others. Our need for possession of material wealth often leaves us blind, making us arrogant and often end up looking down upon those who may be with us thru our thick and thin.

It is important to integrate humility into every classroom, every day. Building social and emotional learning skills such as humility requires face-to-face interactions, meaningful discussion, and reflection.  Humility is not necessarily about modesty or pretending to be less than you are. In fact, people who are humble often have a high sense of self-worth; it's just that they can recognize their own strengths and limitations. Kids like this who possess the confidence and feel gratitude are more likely to work toward the welfare of others. They can keep themselves in a better perspective and value the contributions of others to their lives. It is a necessity when fostering truly collaborative, forward-thinking cultures in classrooms. If we choose to be humble, we remain unaffected to either praise or disgrace as our motive is not to become likeable but to become the best version of ourselves as a human being, a citizen of a country, a diligent employee, a hard-working and polite student or a doting son/daughter. 

It is good to have a life full of achievements, but it is equally important to be a person who is looked up to for his/her kindness and down to earth attitude . As we progress in our lives from being ace students to the most coveted employee in an organization, we must not forget the contribution of those around us, who helped us achieve our goal. The friend who stayed up late until that night for the most important entrance exam or the colleague who made sure there was no shortage of coffee when we were working late until one night for an important presentation for the CEO. People who help us need to be acknowledged for the invaluable and unconditional support that they lend to us in our time of need. A person who recognizes the efforts of those around him/her, despite being the brightest or holding immense power is the one who can be called humble. 

We have numerous examples in our daily walk of life like Dr APJ Kalam, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Ratan Tata, and Mother Teresa who were apostles of humility and yet achieved great heights.

Humility counters ego which can be dangerous for further growth and development. Thus, humility must be seen as a virtue that can be used to inculcate other profound virtues like patience, perseverance and diligence.

Humility is that low, sweet root, from which all heavenly virtues shoot. -Thomas Moore