Joyce Ann Isidro
Humble people never stand out.
They deliberately try to blend in, to be the type you wouldn’t see in a crowd unless you look really hard…
…but does that mean humble people are weak, meek, or unremarkable?
Not necessarily.
They try to blend in because their biggest fear is to be noticed and put on a pedestal—and the choice to lower themselves to be relatable to others is one of the strongest things anyone can do.
That’s why humility is one of the strongest possible traits you can have as a person, even if it’s commonly seen as a weakness.
Want to learn more about why humility isn’t a weakness, but a sign of strength? Read more below!
1) You keep your ego in check
Society loves rewarding successful people.
When you achieve your dreams, expect that you’ll be showered with praise and admiration. You’ll hear “how did you do it?” “How was it?” questions left and right.
And it’s so easy to let it all get in your head that before you know it, your ego is so inflated that it can pop at any second.
But humble people are able to keep their ego in check.
It’s hard for all of us, for sure, but what sets them apart is they make extra effort not to let their successes get into their head.
In fact, their ability to stay down to earth is what makes them so inspiring.
2) You inspire others
Humility might not be something that makes you stand out, but that’s the essence of it—you don’t do it out of praise; you do it because it keeps you grounded.
But even if it doesn’t put you in the spotlight, it makes you an inspiration, nonetheless.
You might not know it, but someone out there is inspired by you because of how far you’ve come but still manage to remain down to earth.
Your ability to stay grounded is what makes you inspiring, because even as an accomplished person, you always stay approachable.
3) It makes you more approachable
I want you to think of your role model—are they approachable or intimidating?
If you think they’re intimidating, they likely lack humility.
That’s because arrogant people always talk about themselves—their achievements, their best moments, and how good they are at everything.
But if you think they’re approachable, that’s because they’re humble.
That’s because being able to go far in life doesn’t have to mean being unreachable. In fact, being humble gives you the strength to look back, no matter how far you go.
4) People respect you more
As people, we often think we have to have an iron fist in order to be respected.
But respect isn’t demanded—it’s earned.
And you don’t get it by pressuring people ‘til they tremble with fear, or by bossing them around—you can only earn it when you show them compassion.
When you’re humble, people look up to you because in spite of your big achievements, you still remain down to earth.
5) It makes you open-minded
It’s certainly important to have the courage of our convictions, but to some degree, we still need to be open-minded.
And being humble gives you the strength to be open-minded no matter how smart you become.
It helps you learn that as people, we’re in a constant state of learning and changing.
Every new knowledge leads to another, and if you don’t open yourself up to that, you’re condemning yourself into a state of arrogance and close-mindedness—and trust me, it’s lonely in there.
6) You’re confident, but not arrogant
Confidence takes you places, which means that if you do everything with confidence, success is almost always guaranteed.
But constant successes can make you arrogant—so be very careful not to lose touch when you see yourself achieving one milestone after another.
Because when you lose touch, you will end up looking down on everyone, convinced that you’re better than them.
But that disposition can only make you lonely—and humility gives you the strength to push yourself back down to earth every time you feel yourself losing touch.
It reminds you that surely, confidence takes you places, but confidence paired with humility makes sure you’re successful and happy.
7) You’re more compassionate
In life, we need to be kind and compassionate if we want to find meaningful relationships.
So no matter how successful you become, it’s important to stay humble because it gives you the strength to stay kind, too.
Because usually, when people succeed, they forget to look back. They don’t realize how far they’ve gone, so they become unrelatable.
They’re unable to practice empathy, because they don’t remember where they came from. And though it makes them feel superior, that path only ends in solitude and loneliness.
And they only realize they’re alone when it’s too late.
8) It makes you goal-oriented
If you consider yourself to be humble, you’re likely not motivated by praise. In fact, you might even avoid it, or feel uncomfortable receiving it.
That’s because you’re not motivated by validation—you’re motivated by success.
This ability to be goal-oriented is what always leads to desirable outcomes. You don’t do it for the applause, you do it to achieve your dreams—whether that’s to help people, educate them, or simply live a peaceful life on your own.
Even if you’re not in a position of leadership, it’s this ability to be goal-oriented that makes you a good leader.
9) It makes you a better leader
Because humble people are goal-oriented, it’s easy for you to lead people toward a common goal.
You might not even realize it because it comes so naturally for you.
You’re not in it for the praise; you hate it when people put you on a pedestal. You simply want success.
And when you see your group achieving your goals, it’s the most fulfilling thing.
It’s nice to be appreciated, for sure, but no matter how much praise you get, you never let it get to your head.
And while criticism hurts more than appreciation feels good, you’re able to handle it, nonetheless.
10) You’re able to handle criticism
All of us struggle with criticism. Even if you refuse to admit it, you probably do, too.
And it’s understandable. Who wouldn’t be hurt when you try your best, but it’s still not enough?
But even if it feels bad, humility gives us the strength to be open to it.
It hurts to know you’ve made mistakes, but on the bright side of things, learning from our mistakes means we can do better next time.
But humility doesn’t only help us see our faults—it also helps us feel grateful for our successes.
11) You know how to be grateful
Let’s be real: being told “you should be grateful!” can be annoying, especially when you’re struggling.
It’s because we’re forced to look at the “positive side” of things, to stop focusing on the bad ones, which invalidates our struggles.
And because of how often this happens, we’ve started to forget that that’s not what gratitude is about.
Gratitude is about seeing all your successes and being thankful for the things and the people that brought you there.
It’s about staying grounded; it’s about remembering to look back when you’ve gone far in life.
And that’s what humility reminds us every time we succeed—it gives us the strength to stay grounded and be grateful no matter how far we’ve come.
12) You resolve conflicts peacefully
Fighting with someone—especially with someone you love—can be difficult. It’s emotionally taxing, and it’s something all of us try our best to avoid.
Even if we know it’s already draining, we still fail to lower our pride and say sorry, or even make the first move to talk about the issue.
This is where humility comes into play.
Humility gives you the strength to swallow your pride; to let your love for the other person win over the desire to prove a point.
When you’re humble, it’s a little easier to navigate the challenges you encounter. It makes you a better partner, friend, family, and overall, a better person in the end.
13) You’re able to take accountability
In a world that expects everyone to be perfect, it’s hard to admit when you’ve made a mistake.
The fear of the consequences is what makes people avoid accountability.
It makes us afraid of what people will think when we make a mistake, which is why we choose to blame it onto something or someone else instead.
And that’s why we should practice humility, because it gives us the strength to take accountability.
So let your mistakes humble you. Don’t expect yourself to be perfect all the time, because you don’t have to be.
The only expectation you need to set for yourself is to be humble, and it will take you farther than you imagine.
