Is humility a virtue?

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Do you find any virtue in being humble and meek? Do you differentiate between choosing to do so in spite of the opposite desire and being humble and meek under pressure of those with power in their hands? In that event, would you judge the two equally?

I would probably associate being humble with strength, and being meek with weakness. Being humble is hard to do, and people who have trouble being humble seem to hurt themselves ultimately.

Of course it's a virture--until it is turned into a vice.

Humility used as a tool to gain an advantage is no virture. Humility used to shame others is no virture. Humility used to affect a virtuous posture may not, in fact, be virtuous at all.

Humility is born of confidence. If you believe in your capabilities, you will simply use them when appropriate and not brag about them. Meekness is born of fear. Therefore, humility is without a doubt a virtue, and meekness without a doubt not.

How do you distinguish between humility and meekness? Aside from positive/negative connotations attached.

It depends on where your heart is set.
If you believe in scripture and the afterlife, then humility and meekness (?) are recommended.
If you have a specific tangible goal in mind, then you have to weigh up whether humility will help you get there.

You need to set the frame of reference on this.

Meekness is a virtue as well if you take the definition of meekness meaning mildness or quietness of nature. There is a time and place for all things and meekness has it’s time and place. With the sensory problems we who are on the spectrum have I would think we would want to surround ourselves with meek people.

I was thinking meekness in terms of just laying down and taking it, but in religious terms, meekness as in being patient and forgiving, definitely virtuous. I think it means you'll turn the other cheek, but at some point justice needs to be taken into account. Moses told God to suck an egg if God was gonna kill all the Israelites for worshipping the golden calf. Moses argued for the Israelites, a couple punishments were laid down, and everybody was able to live another day.

I guess meekness as "patience" I can definitely see as a virtue.

I think of humility as not being too cocksure and overconfident. I do think that's a virtue.

Yeah, Merriam Webster online dictionary defines humility as "the state or quality of being humble" MW and humbleness as 'not proud or haughty, arrogant or assertive" as one of their definitions. MW Meekness is defined as being 'mild" 'moderate" or "submissive" MW So I'd say humility is a virtue and meekness can be or it can be just stupid and to a person's detriment depending on the situation.

Meekness is something you exercise on those that are aged, the very young, people who are suffering or are brokenhearted, the dying and the sick. But meekness exercised in the face of injustice or tyranny is not by rule a virtue. Mahatma Gandhi is one of the best examples of appropriate meekness, he didn’t lash out violently at anyone yet would always stand up for what was right in his eyes never allowing a social injustice to go unanswered. In this light meekness is really a strength, never stooping as low as your adversary but always stooping to help those truly in need.

my junior high school music teacher told me, "when you think you're going good, you've stopped thinking."

Humility is a reason why so many of us try hard to succeed in our daily lives. some may win some lose; others lose out to propaganda.

Where is the moral excellence in arrogance?

thats a question for good soladarity i suppose..

http://www.solidaritytradeunion.org/