Humility lies not in expression of it, for it is an aberration of the same-sighted attitude and, as Tagore rightly put it, it is an attribute in absence whose very expression betrays egotism. Hence, pretensions galore go by the name of humility and it is all policy rather than a genuine self-effacement that is the consequence of inner illumination and a comprehension of the immensity of unexplored knowledge and the littleness of life's achievements.
Swami Vivekananda had said that he did not subscribe to the very concept of humility. He believed in the same-sighted attitude where one sees oneself in all beings and as such makes no attempt to be artificially humble.
So, we see that both Tagore and Vivekananda were agreed on this point and we can celebrate their union of thinking. Also, we must draw our lesson from their observations and stop being pretentious by way of showy humility which reeks of self-consciousness to a pronounced degree and leaves those around with a sense of revulsion at the display of affected mannerisms totally not in keeping with the spirit of civility or good culture. Let us instead be spontaneous, not boastful or pompous, which is the other extreme of blatant self-publicity, but courteous in observance of the golden mean of detachment in achievement.
Let truth express itself as it does in the dewdrop, as in the blossoming of the bud and in the nightly veil Nature draws on things, here resplendent, there bashful, and let falsity not mar the spectacle of this alternate shade and light with a self-groomed darkening feature.
What more may I say than this that all be well with you all in spontaneous acceptance of who you are and never of who you wish to project yourself to be, for men are men and can see through your designs however cleverly you may wrap your offering and present it to the public. So, be in essence illumined in manners and truthful in intent. That is all there is to it.
Written by Sugata Bose
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