In a religious context, humility can mean a self-recognition of a
deity and subsequent submission to that deity as a religious member. Outside of a religious context, humility is defined as being "unselved," or liberated from the
consciousness of self, a form of
temperance that is neither having pride (or haughtiness) nor indulging in self-deprecation. In both religious and philosophical contexts, humility can be regarded as a
virtue that prioritizes social harmony, striking a balance between two sets of qualities. This equilibrium lies in having a reduced focus on oneself, which leads to a proportionate sense of self-importance and diminished
arrogance, while also possessing the ability to demonstrate strength, assertiveness, and courage. This virtue is exhibited in the pursuit of upholding social harmony and recognizing our human dependence on it. It contrasts with
maliciousness,
hubris, and other negative forms of
pride and is an idealistic and rare intrinsic construct that has an
extrinsic side.
Abrahamic Judaism teaches about the "
measure of man" (compared to the earth and the universe, man is very small).|thumb|upright=1
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks states that, in Judaism, humility is an appreciation of oneself, and one's talents, skills, and virtues. It is not meekness or self-deprecating thought, but the effacing of oneself to something higher. Humility is not to think lowly of oneself, but to appreciate the self one is. In recognition of the mysteries and complexities of life, one becomes humbled by the vastness of what one is and what one can achieve.
Rabbi Pini Dunner discusses that humility is to place others first; it is to appreciate others' worth as important. Rabbi Dunner states that
Moses wrote in the
Torah, "And Moses was exceedingly humble, more than any man on the face of the earth" (). Dunner recognizes what seems to be a paradox in the passage, that one who claims to be humble comes across as arrogant. However, Dunner concludes that believing highly of yourself is not arrogant when one recognizes that power comes from God. The
deuterocanonical Book of Sirach section on humility in chapter 3, commences, "My son, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts". The editors of the
New American Bible Revised Edition suggest that the writer "is perhaps warning his students [in this section] against the perils of
Greek philosophy". Amongst the benefits of humility described in the
Hebrew Bible, which is shared by many faiths, are
honor,
wisdom,
prosperity, the protection of the Lord, and
peace. In addition, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" () is another phrase in the Hebrew Bible that values humility and humbleness.
General Christianity The
New Testament exhortations to humility are found in many places, for example, "Blessed are the meek" (), "He who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (), as well as () and throughout the
Book of James.
Jesus Christ's behavior and submission to
unjust torture and execution in particular are examples of righteous humility: "Who, when he was reviled, did not revile: when he suffered, he threatened not: but delivered himself to him that judged him justly" (). In contrast, Lewis contends that in
Christian moral teaching the opposite of pride is humility. This is popularly illustrated by a phrase wrongly attributed to Lewis, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less." This is an apparent paraphrase, by
Rick Warren in
The Purpose Driven Life, of a passage found in
Mere Christianity: Lewis writes, regarding the truly humble man. One with humility is said to be a fit recipient of grace; according to the words of
Saint James, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (, , ). "True" humility differs from "false" humility: the latter consists of deprecating one's own sanctity, gifts, talents, and accomplishments for the sake of receiving
praise or
adulation from others. This has been personified by the fictional character
Uriah Heep created by
Charles Dickens. In this context legitimate humility comprises the following behaviors and attitudes: • submitting to God and legitimate authority; • recognizing virtues and talents that others possess, particularly those that surpass one's own, and giving due honor and, when required, obedience; • recognizing the limits of one's talents, ability, or authority. The vices opposed to humility are: •
Pride; • Too great
obsequiousness or abjection of oneself; this would be considered an excess of humility and could easily be derogatory to one's office or holy character; or it might serve only to pamper pride in others, by unworthy flattery, which would occasion their sins of tyranny, arbitrariness, and arrogance. The virtue of humility may not be practiced in any external way that would occasion vices in others.
Catholic texts view humility as annexed to the
cardinal virtue of
temperance. It is viewed as a potential part of temperance because temperance includes those virtues that restrain or express the inordinate movements of our desires or appetites. Both learner and teacher need to be humble, because they learn and teach what ultimately belongs to God. Humility is a basic disposition of the interpreter of the Bible. The confidence of the
exegete and preacher arises from the conviction that their mind depends on God absolutely. Augustine argues that the interpreter of the Bible should proceed with humility, because only a humble person can grasp the truth of Scripture. Humility was a virtue extolled by
Francis of Assisi, and this form of
Franciscan piety led to the artistic development of the
Madonna of humility first used by the Franciscans for
contemplation. The
Virgin of humility sits on the ground, or upon a low cushion, unlike the
Enthroned Madonna representations. This style of painting spread quickly through Italy, and, by 1375, examples began to appear in Spain, France, and Germany. It became the most popular among the styles of the early
Trecento artistic period.
Thomas Aquinas, a 13th-century philosopher and theologian in the
Scholastic tradition, says, "The virtue of humility... consists in keeping oneself within one's own bounds, not reaching out to things above one, but submitting to one's superior".
Islam In the
Qur'an, various Arabic words conveying the meaning of humility are used. The very term "
Islam" can be interpreted as "surrender (to God), humility", from the triconsonantal root
S-L-M; other words used are and :
Jainism In
Jainism, humility, generally referred to as "
Vinay" (pronounced as /
ˈvɪneɪ/), is a supreme virtue which is essential for eliminating ego (pride) and attaining spiritual liberation (
moksh). In Jainism, humility is expressed through the virtues
Mārdava (modesty, absence of pride) and
Vinay (reverence, respectful conduct). It is regarded as a fundamental ethical quality necessary for spiritual advancement and liberation. Jain teachings describe humility (
Vinay) as essential for spiritual growth, comparing it to the low position of the sea that enables all rivers to flow into it, symbolizing the strength that comes from lowering one's ego. Jain philosophy classifies
Mārdava as one of the
daśa-dharma (ten universal virtues). It is defined as the absence of arrogance stemming from birth, learning, austerity, wealth, or status. Humility functions as the antidote to
māna (pride), one of the principal passions that obstruct the soul’s purification. It is regarded as indispensable for the cultivation of right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct, the three pillars of the Jain path to liberation. The
Tattvārtha Sūtra explicitly lists
Mārdava among the highest virtues and describes it as a key ethical disposition required for the purification of conduct. Traditional commentaries explain that humility allows one to accept discipline, avoid deceit, and maintain inner calm. The
Uttarādhyayana Sūtra emphasizes
Vinay (reverence/humility) as a core element of monastic and lay conduct, stressing respectful behaviour toward teachers, elders, and all living beings. Humility in this text is associated with restraint of speech, gentleness, and modest interpersonal conduct. In Jainism, humility is encouraged to be practiced through modest speech, gentleness, honesty, and avoidance of self-praise. The belief that all souls are equally capable of liberation encourages Jains to avoid hierarchical pride and to treat all beings with respect. For monastics, humility is prescribed through behavioral rules concerning learning, speech, posture, and interactions, while laypersons cultivate humility in social relations and religious observances.
Buddhism Buddhism is a religion of "self"-examination. As a result of the practice, this cultivated humility is expanded by the wisdom acquired by the experience of ultimate emptiness () and non-self (). Humility, compassion, and wisdom are intrinsic parts of the state of enlightenment. On the other hand, not being humble is an obstacle on the path of enlightenment which needs to be overcome. In the
Tipitaka (the Buddhist scriptures), criticizing others and praising oneself is considered a vice; but criticizing oneself and praising others is considered a virtue. Attachment to the self, apart from being a vice in itself, also leads to other evil states that create suffering. In the Tipitaka, in the widely known
Mangala Sutta, humility (, literally: "without air") is mentioned as one of the thirty-eight blessings in life. In the
Pāli Canon, examples of humility include the monk
Sariputta Thera, a leading disciple of the Buddha, and
Hatthaka, a leading lay disciple. }} In Buddhist practice, humility is practiced in a variety of ways. Japanese
Soto Zen monks bow and chant in honour of their robes before they don them. This serves to remind them of the connection of the monk's robes with enlightenment. Buddhist monks in all traditions are dependent on the generosity of laypeople, through whom they receive their necessities which is in itself is a practice of humility.
Hinduism In
Sanskrit literature, the virtue of humility is explained with many terms, some of which use the root word, (). comes from . Related words include (), (, humility towards), and the concept , listed as the first virtue in the
Bhagavad Gita. is a fusion word for "pridelessness" and the virtue of "humility". Another related concept is (), which means
modest and humble behaviour. Different scholars have varying interpretations of , humility, as a virtue in the Bhagavad Gita. For example,
Prabhupada explains humility to mean one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honoured by others. Tanya Jopson explains , humility, as lack of arrogance and pride, and one of twenty-six virtues in a human being that if perfected, leads one to a divine state of living and the ultimate truth.
Eknath Easwaran writes that the Gita's subject is "the war within, the struggle for self-mastery that every human being must wage if he or she is to emerge from life victorious", and "The language of battle is often found in the scriptures, for it conveys the strenuous, long, drawn-out campaign we must wage to free ourselves from the tyranny of the ego, the cause of all our suffering and sorrow". To get in touch with your true self, whether you call that
God,
Brahman, etc., you have to let go of the ego. The
Sanskrit word literally translates into The-sound-of-I, or quite simply the sense of the self or ego.
Mahatma Gandhi interprets the concept of
humility in Hinduism much more broadly, where humility is an essential virtue that must exist in a person for other virtues to emerge. To Mahatma Gandhi, Truth can be cultivated, as well as Love, but Humility cannot be cultivated. Humility has to be one of the starting points. He states, "Humility cannot be an observance by itself. For it does not lend itself to being practiced. It is however an indispensable test of
ahimsa (non-violence)." Humility must not be confused with mere manners; a man may prostrate himself before another, but if his heart is full of bitterness for the other, it is not humility. Sincere humility is how one feels inside, it's a state of mind. A humble person is not himself conscious of his humility, says Gandhi.
Swami Vivekananda, a 19th century scholar of Hinduism, argues that the concept of humility does not mean "
crawling on all fours and calling oneself a sinner". In Vivekananda's Hinduism, each human being is the Universal, recognizing and feeling oneness with everyone and everything else in the universe, without inferiority or superiority or any other bias, is the mark of humility. To
Dr. S Radhakrishnan, humility in Hinduism is the non-judgmental state of mind when we are best able to learn, contemplate and understand everyone and everything else.
Sikhism Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj said about
Guru Nanak that Humility is the Divine Flavour, the most wonderful fragrance of the Lotus Feet of Lord Guru Nanak. There is no place for Ego (referred to in Sikhism as ) in the sphere of Divine Love, in the sphere of true . That is why in the House of Guru Nanak one finds Humility reigning supreme. According to Sikhism, all people equally have to bow before God so there ought to be no hierarchies among or between people. According to Nanak the supreme purpose of human life is to reconnect with (The Timeless One), however, egotism is the biggest barrier in doing this. Using the guru's teaching remembrance of (the divine Word) leads to the end of egotism. The immediate fruit of humility is intuitive peace and pleasure. With humility one continues to meditate on the Lord, the treasure of excellence. The God-conscious being is steeped in humility; one whose heart is mercifully blessed with abiding humility. Sikhism treats humility as a begging bowl before the god. Sikhs extend this belief in equality, and thus humility, towards all faith: "All religious traditions are equally valid and capable of enlightening their followers".
Baba Nand Singh Sahib is renowned as the most humble Sikh Saint in the history of Sikhism.
Meher Baba The spiritual teacher
Meher Baba held that humility is one of the foundations of devotional life: "Upon the altar of humility we must offer our prayers to God." Baba also described the power of humility to overcome hostility: "True humility is strength, not weakness. It disarms antagonism and ultimately conquers it." Finally, Baba emphasized the importance of being humble when serving others: "One of the most difficult things to learn is to render service without bossing, without making a fuss about it and without any consciousness of high and low. In the world of spirituality, humility counts at least as much as utility."
Taoism Humility, in Taoism, is defined as a refusal to assert authority or a refusal to be first in anything. The act of daring, in itself, is a refusal of wisdom and a rush to enjoin circumstances before you are ready. Along with
compassion and
frugality, humility is one of the
three treasures (virtues) in the possession of those who follow the
Tao. Ellen Chen notes that: The third treasure, daring not be at the world's front, is the Taoist way to avoid premature death. To be at the world's front is to expose oneself, to render oneself vulnerable to the world's destructive forces, while to remain behind and to be humble is to allow oneself time to fully ripen and bear fruit. This is a treasure whose secret spring is the fear of losing one's life before one's time. This fear of death, out of a love for life, is indeed the key to Taoist wisdom.
Wicca In the numerous traditions of initiatory
Wicca, called in the U.S.A. "British Traditional Wicca", humility is one of the four paired & balanced qualities recommended in liturgical texts as having come from the Wiccan Goddess: In the matter of humility, this deific instruction appropriately pairs being honorable with being humble. Characteristically, this Wiccan "virtue" is balanced by its partner virtue. ==Philosophical views of humility==