Chase The Kangaroo

The Ground Beneath a Life

“Imitate Jesus and Socrates.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Humility is a quiet virtue. It rarely draws attention to itself, and that is part of its strength. In an age that prizes visibility and certainty, humility feels out of place, almost old fashioned. Yet when you look closely at the kind of lives that endure, the kind that carry a steady weight of wisdom and character, you find humility forming the bedrock. It shapes the way a person listens, learns, and serves. It steadies the heart in moments when pride would hurry in and take over. It builds space for honest self-examination and for receiving correction without fear.

Most people imagine humility as something soft or self-negating, a trait for people who lack confidence or drive. Scripture paints a different picture. It shows humility as strength under control. It is clarity about who you are and who you are not. It is the courage to open your hands and release the need to appear capable of everything. It is the willingness to let truth reshape you, even when it is uncomfortable.

In daily life, humility is the posture that keeps relationships alive. It softens conflict and creates room for forgiveness. It helps you listen before you speak. It reminds you that the people closest to you carry their own burdens and that your perspective is not always the full picture. Humility does not diminish the self. It enlarges your capacity to love and to see others clearly.

In professional life, humility works like ballast. It keeps a person grounded when expectations rise or when responsibility increases. It allows you to say you do not know something and to seek help without shame. It gives you the freedom to learn from those who see things you miss. Teams run healthier when humility governs the room. Work becomes more about contribution and less about image. Good decisions follow when no one feels the need to defend their ego.

In leadership, humility separates those who serve from those who rule. A humble leader is not passive. He is decisive and clear, yet his strength is shaped by restraint and purpose. He carries authority without letting authority carry him. He owns his mistakes and does not hide behind excuses. He gives credit away. He makes space for quieter voices. Humility is not the absence of power. It is the right use of power for the sake of others.

Benjamin Franklin understood that humility belonged at the end of his list of virtues because it holds the others in place. You can practice temperance, order, resolution, industry, and sincerity, but without humility those virtues drift toward pride. Humility clears the ground so that growth can take root. It keeps a person teachable. It keeps the heart open to God and to others. And it strengthens the resolve to continue the slow work of becoming the person you are called to be.

This virtue is not natural. It is formed through practice. It grows through daily decisions that often feel small. It takes shape in the ordinary moments when you choose truth over image, listening over defending, service over self-importance. Humility is the path Christ walked. It is the posture that shaped the heroes of Scripture and the saints across history. And it remains as necessary now as it was when Franklin added it to his little book of virtues.

“Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues; hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.” ~ Saint Augustine

Franklin’s Framing of Humility

A. Franklin’s Own Words

Franklin kept his definition simple.

“Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.”

No long explanation. No clarifying notes. Just a short directive that rests on two of history’s clearest models of grounded strength.

B. His Intent and His Challenge

Franklin saw humility as a check on the ego and a guide for wisdom. He believed a person should see himself clearly, which meant neither exaggerating strengths nor hiding weaknesses. Humility demanded sober judgment, consistent improvement, and a refusal to pretend to know more than you do. It was not self-hatred. It was clarity.

This was the virtue that troubled him most. He admitted that the moment he felt progress, pride rushed in behind it. His charts could measure temperance, silence, order, and industry, but humility revealed something deeper. It exposed the roots of the heart.

Franklin’s lens was practical and shaped by the Enlightenment spirit of improvement. He treated humility as a discipline rather than a grace. Even so, he understood its necessity. Humility keeps ambition in its proper place. It keeps arrogance from corrupting good intentions. It keeps a person teachable and open to correction.

Franklin shows that humility is not only a Christian virtue. It belongs to the public square, the workshop, the home, and the mind of any person who wants to live with wisdom.

“Humility must accompany all our actions, must be with us everywhere; for as soon as we glory in our good works they are of no further value to our advancement in virtue.”  ~ Saint Augustine

C. Jesus and Socrates

Franklin chose two figures who represent humility of heart and humility of mind.

Jesus embodies the humility of service and sacrifice. His life shows strength that bends down to serve, courage that gives itself away, and a settled willingness to take the lower place. Franklin admired the ethical clarity of Jesus. Imitating Him meant living with mercy, patience, truthfulness, and love.

Socrates represents intellectual humility. He was known for admitting ignorance and for placing truth above reputation. In Plato’s Apology, he describes himself as wiser than others only because he knows he does not know. Socrates reminds us that growth requires teachability and a mind that does not cling to false certainty.

Franklin’s pairing is deliberate. Jesus shapes the will. Socrates shapes the intellect. Together they reveal a humility that engages the whole person.

Definition and Conceptual Contours of Humility

Humility begins with truth. It is the honest recognition of who you are before God, before others, and before the demands of your own life. It refuses pride and self-contempt. It stands on solid ground.

Humility grows in three primary arenas.

In daily life, it keeps relationships healthy. It listens before reacting and gives patience where frustration wants to take over.

In professional life, it becomes the foundation of competence. It admits limits without shame and seeks the strengths of others.

In leadership, it is strength with its edges honed smooth. It guides without dominating and takes responsibility without shifting blame.

C. S. Lewis described humility as honest self-forgetfulness. Not a smaller self, but a freer one.

Humility steadies the heart, sharpens the mind, and clears the way for real growth.

Classical and Stoic Perspectives

The Stoics understood humility even if they rarely used the word.

Marcus Aurelius urged modesty, restraint, and a clear view of one’s place.

Seneca warned that pride blinds the mind to truth.

Epictetus taught that wisdom begins with accepting your limits.

Stoic humility is clarity. It strengthens the mind by removing illusions.

The Christian story takes humility further. It roots the virtue in God and in the character of Christ. Still, the Stoics remind us that truth must govern both heart and mind.

Biblical Insights on Humility

Jesus taught that the humble will be lifted. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:11)

Micah reminds us that humility is part of the life God desires. “Walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)

Paul ties humility to love and service within the community. “In humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3–4)

He also warns against inflated self-perception. “Think of yourself with sober judgment.” (Romans 12:3)

James calls the believer to surrender. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:10)

Humility begins with God and moves outward into every part of life. It frees a person from the restless need to protect image or reputation.

Christian Thinkers on Humility

Across the centuries, Christian writers have treated humility as the starting point of spiritual growth. It is the virtue that clears the ground so God can work. It steadies the soul and opens the way for holiness. Though their voices differ in style and era, they speak with surprising unity. Pride distorts. Humility restores. Pride closes. Humility opens. Pride bends the heart inward. Humility turns it outward toward God and neighbor.

Augustine placed humility at the foundation of the Christian life. He believed every sin begins in pride, the turning of the soul away from God toward the self. For Augustine, humility is the return to reality. It brings a person back to dependency on God. He wrote that if someone asked him what the central principle of the Christian faith was, he would answer: humility. Ask again, and he would give the same answer. Ask a third time, and it would still be humility. Augustine saw humility not as a feeling but as the soul’s right posture before God.

Thomas à Kempis, in The Imitation of Christ, presents humility as the heart of discipleship. He urges the believer to take the lower place, to renounce the craving for praise, and to seek the company of the humble rather than the powerful. His vision is quiet and practical. He reminds the reader that Christ Himself chose the path of lowliness and that those who follow Him must learn to do the same. His counsel is simple. Do not think yourself greater than you are. Give God the glory. Serve without seeking reward. This is the slow formation of a humble heart.

C. S. Lewis understood humility as honest self-forgetfulness. In Mere Christianity, he warns that humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. He teaches that humility produces freedom. When you stop managing your image, you become more present to others. Lewis also saw humility as essential to joy. A humble person can praise the goodness in others without feeling diminished. Pride isolates. Humility connects.

Tolkien lived humility through his characters more than through direct teaching, yet the theme runs through his work. The greatest acts in The Lord of the Rings are carried by small and overlooked figures who do not seek glory. Frodo, Sam, and even Aragorn embody the kind of strength that refuses to boast. Their power is rooted in restraint, duty, and service. Tolkien’s world makes a simple point. True heroism is humble. It does not announce itself. It endures.

Andrew Murray called humility the root of holiness. In Humility, he writes that humility is nothing more than the proper understanding of our place before God. It is not self-hatred. It is the recognition that every good thing comes from God’s hand. Murray believed humility grows as a person abides in Christ and surrenders the restless need to prove himself. For Murray, humility is the soil where grace takes root and the key that unlocks every other virtue.

Oswald Chambers viewed humility through the lens of surrender. In My Utmost for His Highest, he reminds the believer that God works through the one who yields. Chambers saw pride as the attempt to control outcomes and humility as the release of that control. The humble person trusts God’s direction rather than forcing his own path.

A. W. Tozer warned that pride can grow quietly even in spiritual work. He believed humility protects the soul from the subtle temptation to turn faith into performance. Tozer urged believers to cultivate a hidden life with God, one not built on recognition or the desire to appear spiritual. Humility, for Tozer, is the practice of walking before God with an honest heart.

G. K. Chesterton wrote often about the paradoxes of the Christian life, and humility is one of his favorites. He saw humility as the virtue that keeps a person anchored in truth. Pride leads to grand illusions. Humility protects the imagination from wandering into self worship. Chesterton believed humility makes a person more human, more connected to reality, and more capable of wonder.

And then there is the modern voice of Jocko Willink, whose leadership philosophy revolves around ownership and discipline. Though his framework is secular, his concept of Extreme Ownership reflects a core truth about humility. Leaders who take responsibility for failure and give credit to their teams for success create stronger, more resilient cultures. Jocko’s approach shows that humility is not weakness. It is the foundation of effective leadership and the mark of a person who wants the truth more than the illusion of control.

Together, these voices form a single chorus. Humility is the way into wisdom. It is the steadying virtue that holds the others in place. It brings a person into alignment with God, with others, and with the truth about himself. It strengthens relationships, deepens leadership, and quiets the inner noise that pride creates. It prepares a person to serve rather than to dominate and to bear responsibility rather than shift it. Humility does not shrink the soul. It enlarges it.

My Week with Humility

Humility is easy to admire from a distance and harder to practice when it reaches into the quiet corners of daily life. Over a week of reflection, the same patterns surfaced again and again: pride resisting correction, fear hiding behind competence, the slow pull toward control, the healing work of listening, and the invitation to walk with God rather than outrun Him. The week became a small map of the inward battle and the grace that meets a person along the way.

At the start of the week, I saw how often pride resists correction. When someone offers help or insight, something in me pushes back. It feels like an accusation: Do they think I am incapable? For years I avoided asking for help because pride convinced me that needing help meant failure. Humility exposes the lie. It reminds me that receiving correction is not shameful. Refusing it often is. Teachability begins with truth, not with image.

I noticed the same tension in my work. My role sits between technical teams and business leaders. Every day reminds me that my understanding is not enough. I need insight from people who see things I cannot. The same pattern appears in marriage and in the responsibilities I carry at home. There are moments when fear rises because I do not know what to do, and pride insists that I should. Humility pushes me to lay both down and to seek the help I actually need.

The week also brought me back to the difference between taking responsibility and trying to control outcomes. I can prepare, plan, and work with diligence, but beyond that I must surrender the desire for absolute certainty. Humility trusts God with what comes next. It believes He guides, directs, and provides. My will demands clarity. Humility chooses dependence.

As the days passed, I began to see where pride narrows my vision. It turns my attention inward and feeds a running account of grievances and offenses. If someone speaks sharply or acts poorly, I can carry the sting far longer than the moment deserves. Pride builds a story around the wound. Humility interrupts the spiral. It widens the view and reminds me that other people’s reactions often reveal their own burdens more than they reveal my worth.

Midweek, the reflections turned toward identity and grace. I saw how much energy I spend trying to prove that I am capable. Some gaps in knowledge I can admit without hesitation. Others make me freeze. Embarrassment sets in. The pressure to appear competent presses down. Pride tells me to hide it. Humility invites honesty. Grace reshapes the heart by releasing the need to earn worth. When a man receives grace instead of performing for approval, he becomes free to grow.

Listening became another measure of humility. In recent conversations, I noticed moments when I listened to understand and moments when I listened to defend myself. The desire to be heard is strong. Yet in the last few months, the balance has shifted. Especially in my marriage, I am learning to listen to the hurt I have caused, not to justify myself. Humility listens because it cares. It lays down the need to win the moment so that healing can begin.

The week ended with a simple truth. I often rush ahead in my own strength. My work demands quick decisions, and I move from urgency to action without seeking God’s wisdom. I seldom pause, and even after the fact I rarely look back with Him to learn from what happened. Humility slows a man down. It calls him to walk with God, not ahead of Him. Dependence becomes the rhythm, not momentum.

This week showed me that humility is not a single decision. It is a posture learned through a thousand small choices. It reaches into correction, work, identity, listening, and the pace of the soul. It aligns a man with God and with the truth about himself. And once humility takes root, it begins to steady everything else.

“It is better to have but little knowledge with humility and understanding, than great learning which might make you proud.” ~ Thomas à Kempis

Practicing Humility This Week

Practicing Humility

Area	Practice
Receiving Correction	When someone offers feedback, pause before responding. Ask one clarifying question and name one thing you can learn from what was said.
Daily Relationships	Choose one conversation each day where you listen fully before forming your response. Pay attention to tone, hurt, and unspoken concerns.
Work and Professional Life	Admit one gap in understanding and seek guidance from the person who sees it clearly. Treat the moment as strength, not deficiency.
Leadership	Give credit to your team in one concrete way. Name specific contributions and shift the spotlight away from yourself.
Identity and Self-Perception	When insecurity rises, speak the truth plainly: God defines your worth, not performance. Receive grace before you act.
Conflict and Offense	When you feel slighted, hold the emotion before reacting. Pray for the other person and consider what burden they may be carrying.
Spiritual Life	Begin the day with a short prayer of surrender: “Teach me, correct me, and steady me. Help me walk with You today.”
Pace and Control	Build one pause into your workday. Stop for thirty seconds, breathe, and ask God for wisdom before moving forward.

What the Virtue Entails

Humility is not vague or abstract. It expresses itself through clear, steady behaviors that shape the way a man moves through the world.

• A truthful view of yourself before God.
• A willingness to learn from anyone.
• The courage to receive correction without bristling.
• Freedom from the need to control every outcome.
• Patience in conversation and in conflict.
• A calm posture that listens instead of reacting.
• Gratitude for the strengths of others.
• Honesty about weakness without shame.
• Strength that does not demand recognition.
• A life that serves rather than consumes.

Humility is a grounded clarity. It does not shrink your life. It steadies it.

Benefits of Practicing Humility

Humility brings a quiet strength into every part of life. When practiced consistently, it produces effects that are both spiritual and practical.

• Clearer thinking and better decisions.
• Healthier relationships marked by patience and trust.
• Less anxiety because there is less to defend.
• Openness to learning that accelerates growth.
• A leadership presence that others respect and follow.
• Stronger teams because blame fades and responsibility rises.
• Greater resilience during hardship.
• A deeper awareness of God’s presence and guidance.
• Freedom from comparison and self-protection.
• A more stable and settled life.

Where pride exhausts the soul, humility brings rest.

“Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. … Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. … He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.” ~ C.S. Lewis

How to Cultivate Humility

Humility grows through deliberate practice. It is not natural to the human heart. It must be formed across time.

• Ask God for a humble heart. The virtue begins in Him, not in your effort.
• Confess pride when you see it. Pride loses its power when it is named.
• Choose the slower response. Pause before correcting, arguing, or defending.
• Seek correction. Ask someone trusted where you could grow.
• Serve in hidden ways. Do good where no one sees. Let God be the witness.
• Study Christ. Walk through the Gospels and watch how Jesus carries authority without pride.
• Honor the strengths of others. Say it out loud. Let gratitude replace competition.
• Admit your limits. It is a mark of maturity to say, “I need help.”
• Practice silence. Create space in your day for God to steady your thoughts.
• Stay teachable. Approach life as a learner, not an expert who has arrived.

Humility is cultivated through daily decisions that turn the heart away from pride and toward truth.

“Humility is the mother of giants. One sees great things from the valley; only small things from the peak.” G.K. Chesterton

Closing

Humility holds every other virtue in place. It protects the heart from self-deception and opens the way for wisdom. It grounds a life in God’s strength rather than its own. It strengthens relationships, shapes leadership, and steadies a man under pressure.

Franklin was right to place humility last. It is the capstone. It nourishes everything else. Christ was right to say that the humble will be lifted. Scripture is right to warn that pride collapses under its own weight.

Humility does not lessen a man. It frees him. It gives him the strength to serve, the courage to learn, and the clarity to walk with God rather than ahead of Him.

May this virtue become your posture in the week ahead. Practice it in conversation, in conflict, in work, and in the quiet places where no one sees. Humility is the ground where grace does its best work.

Franklin’s Virtues