Why Is Humility Important and What Are 10 Signs of Humility?

One of the reasons I really love writing this blog is because I have a strong belief that we can all grow continually. In fact, I believe that if we aren’t growing we are dead. But how can we grow?

Just like a plant grows, we can look for the sun, or the direction we want to go, and then see where we are and determine what we need to do to get there.

A vital key to growth is humility. Why is humility important? How can we tell if we are humble? What are signs of humility we can strive for?

What is Humility?

First of all we have to understand what humility is. The dictionary describes it as having a modest or low opinion of oneself.

That might give the impression that you have to have low self-worth to be humble. But that is not true at all. In fact you have to define your value and know yourself well and have a reasonable view of your abilities and weaknesses in order to be humble.

Humility is about having a low opinion of yourself in that you would not regard yourself above others. In other words, you would be able to consider how others feel and what they think as valid instead of only valuing your own way.

As the dictionary mentions, as a humble person you would a have a modest or realistic view of yourself.

Why Is Humility Important?

I think that you would agree that we see less and less humility in the world. Just in these last few years the world has become more divided than ever because everybody feels that their opinions are the most important and their rights must be won at all cost. In their own eyes, many have become gods.

So in the dog eat dog world, why is humility important? Simply put, if you aren’t humble you are not thinking realistically and you will cause yourself harm with unwise choices.

Eventually an arrogant attitude will alienate everyone around you.

You will be the type of employee that gets fired from every job you get. Everything will be an argument and no one will live up to your standards.

In the end, it could even make your family create distance as well.

On the other hand, humility will help you make good decisions and it will draw others to you. It will promote unity and teamwork. You will be able to see where you can grow and improve and you will be able to enjoy the life you have without always dreaming of something better!

So what are some signs of humility that we can all look for and work on? Let’s dive in!

1: You See The Value In Others

One of the first signs of a humble person is the way the treat others. They will always be looking for the good in others. Having manners will come naturally to a humble person because they respect the people around them and want to show it.

It’s a sign of humility for a person to see everyone around them as valuable and better at something than they are.

A humble person will give compliments willingly and isn’t afraid to delegate because they can see the strengths of others. Because of this they are able to trust people to do something for them instead of always insisting on doing it themselves.

This part of being humble will will endear you to others, build an atmosphere of family teamwork in the home, help you avoid overwhelming yourself, and help others grow to their best potential around you!

2: You Are Always Learning

If you are always learning and working on personal growth that is another one of the signs of humility.

People who aren’t humble think they know it all. They view the knowledge they have already acquired as sufficient to make any decision. They don’t want to be judged or counceled but rather they expect to be listened to and even revered all the time.

On the other hand humble people acknowledge that they still have a lot to learn and don’t know every side of every story. They thirst for knowledge and love to find new ways of doing things and new ways to improve themselves.

3: You Listen

One of the signs of humility you will notice right away is that a humble person will be patient and really listen to you. They will really listen.

They won’t interrupt and they won’t ignore what you said. They will understand not just what you are saying but also what you mean.

On the other hand, too many people today refuse to really listen. They are distracted by their phones or interrupting you with their own ideas.

On the off chance they do hear what you say many people who think too highly of themselves will be angry when your opinion differs from their own, even if they asked for it.

Why is humility important if someone wants to be a good listener? Because in order to be a good listener you must actually want to hear what the other person has to say.

If you think you know it all and you are always right you won’t care. On the other hand, if you take time to listen it will dignify the people around you. As a result they will feel drawn to you.

4: You Ask Questions

Closely related to being a good listener, a humble person will ask questions.

It’s a sign of humility to not be embarrassed when you don’t know how to do something. If a humble person doesn’t fully understand something they they will not hesitate to ask questions.

Also, a humble person who is interested learning from others will be eager to ask questions about the person they are talking to. Instead of having all their conversations revolve around themselves a humble person will often be found asking others about their lives.

When you are a humble person who asks questions it will be easier for you succeed in whatever you set out to do. You will find more doors opening to you and you will have a lot more fun in life!

5: You Are Willing to Bend

Sometimes things don’t go the way we would like them to go. People disappoint us and difficult situations arise.

Buy why is humility important when life throws you a curve ball?

A humble person is more resilient and flexible because they are not set on their way. They have learned that life is a game of back and forths and you win some you lose some.

A humble person is also willing to bend when others suggest things accepting that their way isn’t always the best way and they might learn something.

If you are humble and willing to bend you will find that it’s much easier to change directions in your life. You will become more of team player and you will be able to find meaning, see the gain, and learn from almost anything that happens.

6: You Aren’t Too Loud or Too Quiet

Why is humility important? Because it makes you a better, more likable person!

On that note have you ever met someone who is too loud and dominates every single conversation?

That is not very appealing is it?

Sometimes this loud personality has to do with a lack of self esteem and a desire for constant reinforcement. But that in itself can be a sign of someone who is too worried about themselves instead of thinking of others.

This same problem can manifest in someone being overly shy and quiet.

A person who is shy and always worried about what others think of them is too focused on themselves.

Instead they need to remember that others aren’t thinking about you that much. They are thinking about their own things.

A humble person is well adjusted. They are neither too loud and domineering nor too quiet and inward thinking. Instead of worrying about themselves they are worried about making others comfortable.

When you humbly see yourself for your strengths and weaknesses and spend most of yourself thinking about others you will be a lot easier to be around.

If you cultivate humility it will save you from those embarrassing situations you dread. Be humble or get humbled.

“I cured myself of shyness when it finally occurred to me that people didn’t think about me half as much as I gave them credit for. The truth was, nobody cared. Like most teenagers, I was far too self-centered. When I stopped being prisoner to what I worried was others’ opinions of me, I became more confident and free.”

Lucille Ball

7: You Don’t Need Entertained

We live in a world that is always looking to be entertained.

In fact huge corporations, social media, and even blogs like this one depend on what is called the “attention marketplace”. People are paying to be entertained with big chunks of time and money.

Some people don’t feel comfortable alone, they can’t have a quiet moment, and they are often complaining that they are bored. They depend on others to entertain them.

But one of the signs of a humble person is that they realize that it isn’t the responsibility of others to entertain them.

Humble people happily find things to occupy their time, enjoy quiet moments, and look for ways to contribute to entertaining others.

They enjoy making others happy because they are givers not just takers.

8: You Love Helping Others

Another sign of humility is that a humble person is always happy to serve others. They are not looking to be served but rather to serve.

Humble people tend to look for ways to help others and nothing is below them or considered a waste of their time. They consider showing kindness as something important because everyone is valuable in their own way.

When asked to do something small to help society as a whole they put aside personal preferences easily instead of insisting on their rights.

Why is humility important? Because it always fosters unity and growth.

The more humble people are in the world the easier it is to make positive changes. When people act with humility good things happen on a grand scale.

When you are humble and willing to help others you become someone that is respected and loved. You also become happier because there is more happiness in giving than in receiving.

9: You Dress Modestly

In this world it seems like everyone is trying to get attention by the way that they dress or do their hair. Fashion statements are getting bigger and more ostentatious and clothes are getting more and more revealing.

Does a humble person feel the need to play along?

No. A humble person understands that they should present themselves in a respectable way that gives a good impression. However they do not need to create a lot of drama with their clothing.

They know that the way you dress in not the most important thing about a person, not the thing they want people to focus on.

It is a sign of humility to dress modestly. You don’t need to wear very sexy clothes to draw attention to your body and you don’t need to bring a lot of attention to yourself with fashion statements. You can still have fun with clothes but you don’t have to make a statement all the time.

If you dress with modesty and humility you display soundness of mind and engender respect. People will still notice you but they will notice you for the right things.

10: You Live Modestly

Last but not least, if you put all these signs of humility together you will probably notice that a humble person lives modestly. In every part of their life a person who is humble is reasonable and balanced.

If you are a humble person you will not live above of, or on the edge of, your means. That is because you won’t think you need or deserve things you can’t afford.

You will understand that your budget has boundaries and you don’t need to buy tons of things or spend tons of money to be happy.

It’s a one of the biggest signs of humility to live a modest and simple life. If you are humble you have an accurate estimation of yourself and a decent amount of self worth. That self worth and balance will help you avoid the trap of keeping up with the Joneses or showing off by “buying stuff you don’t like with money you don’t have for people you don’t like.”

Why is humility important if you want to live more simply? Because being humble will ground you and help you focus on more important things than stuff. If you cultivate humility your life will be focused on learning, experiences, family, and friends.

Why Is Humility Important? Can We Improve?

After reading this list of the signs of humility I am sure you see the answer to the question we started with. Why is humility important?

Humility is important because it will build relationships instead of tearing them down. It will help you continue to grow and improve yourself. Being humble will open doors, endear you to everyone, and help you be happier with the person you are.

So did you see anything in this list you can work on? I’ll tell you a secret. I started this post with one simple question. Am I humble? I researched and wrote this post because HUMILITY is a quality I think I could work on more.

We can probably all improve in some of the aspects of humility listed above.

Maybe we interrupt when others are talking or it’s hard for us to bend when things aren’t the way we want them to be.

Perhaps we have focused to much on external symbols or status or we are overly shy and worried about how others perceive us.

Or maybe we just use sentences with the word I more than the word you.

I know I am guilty of all of those things sometimes.

But the good news is, we can improve. We are still alive and still growing.

As long as we remember that we can go in the right direction. We can start cultivating humility in ourselves and enjoying all the beautiful benefits of being a humble person with a happy simple life!

Start today with the simple question; “Am I a humble person?”