How Humility Will Make You the Greatest Person Ever

When I meet someone who radiates humility, my shoulders relax, my

heart beats a little more quietly, and something inside me lets go.
Why? Because I know that I’m being fully seen, heard, and accepted
for who I am, warts and all—a precious and rare gift that allows our
protective walls to come down.
Truly humble people are able to offer this kind of gift to us because
they see and accept their own strengths and limitations without
defensiveness or judgment—a core dimension, according to
researchers, of humility, and one that cultivates a powerful
compassion for humanity.
This kind of self-acceptance emerges from grounding one’s worth in
our intrinsic value as human beings rather than things such as six-
figure salaries or the body of a movie star or climbing the corporate
ladder or the number of friends on Facebook. Instead, humble people
place high value on more meaningful things that benefit others, such
as noble qualities.
They also see life as a school, recognizing that while none of us is
perfect, we can, without negatively impacting our self-esteem, work
on our limitations by being open to new ideas, advice, and criticism.
This ability alone cultivates an awe-inspiring inner strength, the most
powerful example of which is Gandhi, whose Autobiography is a
journey of humbling self-dissection. He once famously said, “I claim to
be a simple individual liable to err like any other fellow mortal. I own,
however, that I have humility enough to confess my errors and to
retrace my steps.”
If Gandhi is an example of what a humble leader can accomplish, then
society serves to benefit from this kind of governance. Consider what
researchers of the “quiet ego”—a construct similar to humility—
suggest happens when we gain control of our ego: we become less
likely to act aggressively, manipulate others, express dishonesty, and
destroy resources. Instead, we take responsibility for and correct our
mistakes, listen to others’ ideas, and keep our abilities in humble
perspective.
Who wouldn’t want that kind of leadership for our country—and the
world?
But the benefits of humility do not extend to just our leaders. Nascent
research suggests that this lovely quality is good for us individually
and for our relationships. For example, humble people handle stress
more effectively and report higher levels of physical and mental well-
being. They also show greater generosity, helpfulness, and gratitude—
all things that can only serve to draw us closer to others.
Answer the following questions by choosing the best alternative:
1. Why does one feel relaxed in the company of a humble person?
a. A humble person motivates others.
b. A humble person accepts others as they are.
c. A humble person never deceives.
d. A humble person never hurts another person’s ego.
2. A humble person exhibits –
a. defensiveness or judgment.
b. compassion for humanity.
c. acceptance only for virtues.
d. no strength to challenge others.
3. This kind of self-acceptance emerges from –
 a. grounding our worth in our intrinsic value as human beings.
b. things such as six-figure salaries.
c. the body of a movie star.
d. climbing the corporate ladder or the number of friends on
Facebook.
4. A humble person believes in –
a. perfection.
b. high self-esteem
c. working on one’s limitations by being open to new ideas,
advice, and criticism.
d. possessing moral values.
5. Gandhiji said that
a. he shall never err.
b. he found it difficult to accept his faults.
c. he was humble enough to confess his errors and make amends.
d. he was confident enough to make others realize their mistakes.
6. When we gain control of our ego:
a. we become likely to act aggressively, manipulate others,
express dishonesty, and destroy resources.
b. we take responsibility for and correct our mistakes.
c. We tend not to listen to others’ ideas.
d. We keep others abilities in humble perspective.
7. Nascent research suggests that
a. Humility helps in gaining self-esteem.
b. Humility helps in amassing wealth.
c. Humility helps in gaining higher levels of physical and mental
well-being.
d. Humility helps in gaining self-confidence.
8. The word similar in meaning to gratitude is
 a. greatness
b. compassion
c. truthfulness
d. thankfulness
9. The verb form of the word criticism is
a. critic
b. criticize
c. condemn
d. critical
10. ‘Quiet ego’ means-
a. gaining control of one’s ego
b. not showing any signs of one’s ego
c. being individualistic
d. being passive
11. Rearrange the following parts (1, 2, 3 and 4) in proper sequence
to obtain a correct sentence.
1. its best
2. is simply
3. science
4. the common sense at
a. 1, 2, 4, 3
b. 4, 2, 1, 3
c. 2, 3, 4, 1
d. 3, 2, 4, 1
12. In the question below, there is a sentence with jumbled up parts.
Rearrange these parts, which are labelled A, B, C and D to produce
the correct sentence. Choose the proper sequence.
a. She saw her opportunity
b. to make amends
c. when he came to her home
d. to borrow some sugar.
a. bcda
b. bcad
c. adbc
d. abcd
13. Kiran said to me, “Did you watch the cricket match on television
yesterday night.”
A. Kiran asked me whether I saw the Cricket match on television the
earlier night.
B. Kiran asked me whether I had seen the Cricket match on television
the earlier night.
C. Kiran asked me did I see the Cricket match on television the last
night.
D. Kiran asked me whether I had seen the Cricket match on television
the last night.
14. I said to him, “Why are you working so hard?”
A. I asked him why he was working so hard.
B. I asked him why was he working so hard.
C. I asked him why had he been working so hard.
D. I asked him why he had been working so hard.
15. 'I intend to _____ to my boss about my salary.'
Fill the gap with the appropriate word from the following options.
A. tell
B. speak
C. talk
D. Both options 2 and 3 are correct but option 1 is wrong.
16. It is considered ..... one of the best restaurants in town.
A. to be
B. as
C. like
D. just
17. I have always …………….. play games well.
A. could
B. been able to
C. able to
D. been great at
18. One cannot help but …………….. his courage.
A. to admire
B. admire
C. admiring
D. admired
19. Stella often goes to the movies …………… telling her parents.
A. instead
B. instead of
C. without
D. although
20. At no time …………….. aware of what was happening.
A. was he
B. he was
C. has he
D. had he