How to Cultivate Humility

“Comparison is the thief of joy” if your desire is to come out on top. But it turns out there’s a case for coming out on the bottom in comparison. 

Others have made the business case for humility quite compellingly, and a recap is omitted here in the interest of brevity. Leaving aside the debate about whether or not humility can be instilled or developed in someone else, here are two practical suggestions for developing it in yourself:

[There] are many things the intellect can do in order to secure for us the blessed gift of humility. For example, it can recollect the sins we have committed in word, action, and thought…True humility is also brought about by meditating daily on the achievements of our brethren, by extolling their natural superiorities and by comparing our gifts with theirs…

Hesychios the Priest

Non-religious readers who might be turned off by the word “sins” can simply substitute “mistakes” or “failures” for it and profit from these two practices. 

Humble sobriety about one’s weaknesses, flaws, and blind spots, combined with an appreciation of the corresponding strengths, faculties, and gifts of others are two ingredients for a culture of interdependency that often characterizes the most high performing teams.