We have big dreams and ambitious projects, but that doesn't mean we can't embrace simplicity. But in a world where people's worth seems to depend on what they have rather than what they are, where we often care more about appearances than essence, it's easy to fall into the trap of pride, vanity and of presumption.
However, there is no better adornment for our soul than humility. In fact, simplicity is the language of the heart, they are a form of direct expression that does not need artifice and allows us to connect to others from our essence, making us 100% authentic.
The risks that hide pride and arrogance
Once a frog wondered how it could get away from the cold winter. Some geese suggested that he emigrate with them, but the problem was that the frog could not fly.
- Leave it to me - said the frog-. I have an extraordinary brain.
She later asked two geese to help her pick up a rod, each one grabbing one end. The frog thought about grabbing the rod with its mouth.
When winter was coming, the geese and the frog began their journey. But they had not yet flown long when they found themselves flying over a small town where the inhabitants went out to see the unusual spectacle.
Someone asked, "Who is it that came up with such a brilliant idea?"
The frog felt so proud that he exclaimed:
– A me!
The moment he opened his mouth he broke away from the barrel and fell into the void.
As with the story frog, pride can lead us to make bad decisions, without thinking about the consequences. Indeed, pride convinces us that we are right while others are always wrong. It leads us to believe that only our ideas are logical and rational, so that we do not accept new ways of seeing things and end up in plaster.
Pride and arrogance mean that we lock ourselves in what we have learned and turn us into our jailers. This is confirmed by a study conducted at Cornell University. These psychologists presented 100 volunteers with a list of technical terms, discovering that those who believed themselves to be experts in the field, not only were unable to recognize the fictitious terms that the researchers had invented to mislead them, but even claimed to know everything about it. Conversely, people who adopted a humbler attitude and did not pretend to be experts in the field showed skepticism about these terms and acknowledged that they did not know them.
This study shows that sometimes our ego blinds us and prevents us from grasping growth opportunities and learning something new. It shows that if we don't look up we will continue to believe we have reached the highest level.
7 benefits of humility and simplicity that will turn us into better people
1. They allow us to have greater mental flexibility. If we adopt a humble attitude we will turn into eternal apprentices. This means that we will always be willing to listen to new ideas and change ours. In this way we will be able to grow, because we will not remain tied to our ideas or ways of doing things, but we will be open to change. In fact, to the extent that we cultivate modesty, it will also be easier for us to learn from mistakes and understand that they are necessary to grow and evolve.
2. They free us emotionally. Pretending to know everything can be exhausting. So embracing humility and simplicity is often liberating. When we recognize our mistakes and limitations we are not showing weakness but rather the opposite, we demonstrate self-confidence, that we know each other well and are not afraid to recognize when we have failed or that we need help. Humility raises, pride reduces.
3. They help us appreciate the little details. Pride always wants more, it is never satisfied. On the contrary, humility is satisfied and finds happiness in what it has. Simplicity allows us to focus on the small details and discover their beauty, allows us to feel grateful for those things that adorn our life and that we did not evaluate correctly before because we considered them obvious. Thus embracing humility allows us to be happy here and now, it helps us to feel grateful and satisfied with what we are and have achieved.
4. They allow us to connect from our essence. Simplicity also means getting rid of the social masks that we normally use in interpersonal relationships. The magic is that when we get rid of the need to impress others, we show ourselves for who we are, and this allows us to establish a deeper emotional bond with the people around us. In this way, we are able to develop more authentic, stronger and lasting relationships.
5. They allow us to find serenity. It is curious but, to the extent that we become humble, the need to argue, impose our opinions or be right abandons us. When we don't need our ego to prevail, we open up to other points of view and find serenity even when the beliefs and opinions of others are opposite to our own. This new approach in interpersonal relationships will make us find a great serenity.
6. They help us to be more empathetic. Only when we let go of pride and arrogance, when we stop feeding our ego, are we able to let go of our point of view and put ourselves in the shoes of others. Therefore, the path to simplicity also helps us to be more understanding and empathetic. This means that we can understand a person, share his concerns and feelings, even if we disagree with his way of thinking.
7. They make our life easier. When we finally realize that “having less means being richer” our world suddenly becomes much simpler. We realize that many of the things we thought we needed are not really necessary to be happy. Then we can focus on what really matters, redirect our efforts towards those things that make us happy and fill us up, those things that truly give our life meaning, rather than take it away.
Always remember the words of the Argentine writer Ernesto Sábato: “To be humble you need greatness”.
