Humility is the mark of a truly great person. It is also a virtue of the honest and the simple, who do not feel the need to show themselves as what they are not.
Those who are humble are loved by all, and others do not fear approaching such a person. They also get help from others when required, whereas an arrogant person is given a wide berth by others, even in their time of distress.
But in order to be beneficial, humility has to be genuine. Some people sometimes go out of their way to be seen as humble, even when they are not so. In order to project an image of humility, they might dress austerely and demonstrably forgo some of the comforts of life, showcasing their apparent simplicity.
We can check if we truly wish to be humble or merely want to have a reputation for humility. In the latter case, paradoxical as it may seem, we might end up with a self-adulatory view of our supposed humility. While being outwardly simple, we would be not so simple in our heart. Pretentious humility can be distinguished from the real thing by the fact that pretence seeks attention whereas the truly humble do not. Since pretence is motivated by some desire, which may or may not be fulfilled, it is likely to leave one discontented. The truly humble, on the other hand, accept their circumstances with grace and are at peace with themselves and others.
If we cover our conceit with the veneer of humility, we will easily feel insulted on not receiving the appreciation or attention we expect. Our superficial humility would be seen by most people for what it is. The result would be that we would get only token respect from them.
It is better to be honest and open, even if it means revealing a few of our weaknesses, than to be full of pretence and superficially humble. Others will see through the superficiality anyway. Others will also love an honest heart… one that is on the way to being truly full of humility.
B.K. Usha is a Rajyoga teacher at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in Abu Road, Rajasthan.