Unless you have been away from an Internet connection for a prolonged period of time, you probably know that 2016 has been a crazy year so far. Trump declared his nomination for presidency, the era of "Damn, Daniel" happened, Kim Kardashian blasted Taylor Swift over her alleged ignorance regarding Kanye’s song "Famous," and, unfortunately, countless police brutality incidents and shootings have continued to happen nationwide. My point is that 2016 has been eventful in all sorts of ways, but if this year has taught me anything, it's how to act in the midst of these political, social and economic changes. It has taught me to remain calm yet concerned; compassionate yet distressed; as well as disillusioned yet encouraged to make a change. But most of all, it has taught me to remain humble to myself, as well as others.
Growing up, humility was instilled in my head always -- that’s just how I was raised. Now that I truly know what it means to be humble, I am eternally grateful to my parents for seeing just how important this quality is, and how often it is overlooked. Humility is the act of being modest, reverential and even politely submissive. It is the opposite of aggression, arrogance, pride, and vanity. And on the surface, it appears to empty its holder of all power.
Especially in the midst of the celebrity drama, political changes and violent acts being committed all across the U.S., remaining humble and not aggressive offers power and self-esteem to those who embody this trait. Becoming engrossed in what’s going on around us can sometimes lead to a positive outcome, but oftentimes, becoming involved and feeling the emotions of the oppressed and exploited can result in violence. Violence does not counteract violence, but humility helps to respect other’s opinions as well as withhold judgments.
For example, the riots and protests in reaction to the police brutality shootings, specifically in Houston, have resulted in nothing but retaliation. Yes, what those police officers did to those innocent men was wrong on so many levels, but it is also wrong to shoot those innocent police officers for a crime someone of the same profession committed. What good has this done for either party? Those victims have back stories, as do the police officers, and it is no one's right to take away someone else's life.
Being on the outside of this news and hearing about it was horrifying, but something that really helped me to ease the pain of the victims of both parties was remaining humble. Offering compassion and empathy does not bring these victims back, but realizing that humility offers complete freedom from this desire can be an essential tool used to deal with all the issues America is facing right now.
I am no expert on how to healthily deal with the political, social and economical changes that America is facing right now, but I do know that if you embrace these changes with humility instead of aggression, violence and arrogance, the world will become a better place.
Make a conscious effort to include humility in your daily routine and continue to remind yourself just how influential this quality can be if embraced wholly and completely. America doesn't need any more violence or arrogance; it needs us to recognize the importance of humility and the possibility that it can change the human race.
