I have also met and known people that claim they have done everything, are experts at whatever you talk about and blah blah blah. This is primarily based on hiding behind your rank. Well good for you but your mind is now closed to further learnings as your ego has surpassed your drive to improve.
I`m always weary of 200 year old men . good post Randy
Laird and Marcus, you are both fine examples of what I am talking about as you both are extremely talented yet come with an open mind towards sharing your knowledge freely and not throwing ego around the dojo.
Hey mate I`m just selfish and wanted to learn , and throwing my weight around the WKS ... heck i dont have a death wish ...
Somewhere in the middle - at various points of the middle - lie of the rest of us. And we rarely sit in the same spot two days in a row.
yup were all human , and we all have bad days , the tricks not to repeat the same mistakes hopefully , I do beleive anything can be character building with the right intentions . If only training was so simple ....
..." To best understand the humility possessed by the Karate masters, we must attempt to understand what humility is like.
The westerner considers humility a matter of simply being without pride or self-assertion.
He recognizes in the Karate master this type of pride, but I believe wrongly so. If this definitiion of humility were correct, we could speak of anyone not deserving of respect as being humble, as long as he didn't have any pride.
This however, we do not do.
Only those people who have accomplished something great and are deserving of respect can be humble. Only those westerners who who have every right to be proud, yet contain their pride, are said to be humble."
I see humility like this: To see our flaws, acknowledge them and strive to correct them. Sitting on top of the mountain top celebrating our accomplishments fails to correct any flaws and is a poor investment.
The egotist is so proud of the accomplishments they become too focused on pointing out their deeds, they forget to acomplish anything.
They focus on where they have been and not where they are going.
What have you done lately?
Hey Jimmy use to say no sense polishing an apple if it's rotten inside
I see humility as a kind of stasis-point where ones' self-esteem is balanced by ones' acknowledgement of ones' own flaws.
That way, you're not insecure and always having to prove oneself, nor thinking you're perfect and getting all self-centered.
A lot about humility is acknowledging the worth of others, particularly if they are not "your people". i.e. your peer group.
And then having the personal lack of insecurity to act that way.
There's a difference between being a doormat or go-to boy, and the kind of person who just likes to hold a door open for a stranger because it makes both of you happy.
i think 2green explains this best. in my training i have been told humility is many things. However, some confuse humility with a self indulging pride, others are as stated door mats. I was told by my greatest teacher, everyone likes a failure, they are not a threat, nothing to be jealous of, and have nothing you want. A success is someone who can make you feel less than you are, make others jealous of their possessions, status, and way of life. you must be humble if you are to be a success......
I think true humility only comes from success. as we apply it to martial arts, when you absolutely know you are good and can take the enemy, why should you ? and as stated you must know your limitations. we can't all be the best, i know that one of my students can kick the crap out of me, but i know i have knowledge he will never possess, i don't feel threatened. it will only be proven if you are in danger. the true test of this is to be the success, allow others to "see" it without having to tell them about it. When everyone around you , or most everyone, likes you for who you are and not what you have to offer them, when you can hold your head high and rest on sound morals and not let ego take over,, that is humility. we have all been around huge successes that for what ever reason you just don't like... they are cocky and use the humble angle ...... but i would suggest that Sensei Canna is a great example of humility. i have never read anything that was boastful or over done for ego. but somehow he and others i have been reading closely are conveying that they are knowledgeable, but you must respect them, not be jealous of them. humility can be power, lack of humility will give everyone else power over you.
Bill Glasheen wrote:What intrigues me is the idea that humility is one of many character traits entwined to make the person what they are. Marcus rightly discusses the need to face one's limitations and accept failure as a part of the learning process. On the other hand, there's also a need to develop confidence, determination, and aggressiveness to achieve any kind of ability and effectiveness in the martial arena. Many of these traits work in dynamic tension with humility to create the effective individual.
Close to how I think. I think a person needs a good dose of ego to succeed in most things. Politics, sports, martial arts, music, acting or any elite group all need a good centered ego for a chance at success. It's ego that helps a person get on the stage and offer what they got. Few people work their butt off hoping to make second string, win the silver, be first runner up or do well but still lose a fight. Humility is the result of the ego running into reality.
I think these are healthy definitions of two words.
Ego: Appropriate pride in oneself; self-esteem.
Humble: Modesty in behavior, attitude, or spirit; not arrogant or prideful.
