Motivation and emotion/Book/2024/Humility

Humility:
What is humility, what causes it, and is it desirable?

Overview

Scenario: Amelia the surgeon

Amelia (see Figure 1) is a surgeon who has recently become renowned for developing a cutting-edge surgical technique. Amelia's boss Miranda asks her to present a speech explaining her research and reminds her to highlight her achievements. When it comes time to do so, Amelia discusses her research and goes on to explain how none of this work would have been possible without the support from her friends, family and colleagues. Amelia praises her colleague Tom for inspiring her, thanks her partner for their emotional support while she works long hours, and acknowledges her scrub nurse for their tireless hours helping her in the operating room. Amelia remarks that they all worked just as hard as her to make this technique possible. After her speech, Tom thanks Amelia and praises her for being so humble. Amelia simply responses "I was just being honest, everyone worked hard to make this possible and deserves all the recognition I have been getting".

Humility, or the act of being humble, is characterised by the quality of having a modest opinion of oneself (Exline & Geyer., 2004; Kellenberger., 2010). Although originally an interest in religion and philosophy, since the year 2000, psychological inquiry into humility, particularly in subfields of positive and organisational psychology, has made significant advancements (Nielsen & Marrone., 2018; Weidman et al., 2016). With all the newfound interest and the creation of empirical research into the topic, a summary of availiable[spelling?] information is warranted. This chapter discusses how humility is defined, examine its causes and investigate opposing arguments as to whether or not humility is a desirable trait.

Focus questions

What is humility from philosophical, religious and scientific perspectives?
What causes it from a psychological science perspective?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of humility?

What is humility?

Etymologically speaking, the term humility derives from the Latin word ‘humilis', translating to mean ‘from the earth’, ‘grounded’, or ‘low’ (Bhattacharya et al., 2017). It has been a prevalent topic in philosophical and religious literature dating back centuries, in which it has been regarded a virtue. Currently, the term is generally considered as the quality of not believing oneself to be superior or 'above' others and knowing that something greater than the self exists (Bhattacharya et al., 2017; Chandler et al., 2023). However, this definition is rather vague. Luckily, humility has regained the attention of scholars and is now being reevaluated in the field of psychological science, and a more specific definition is being developed (AlSheddi, 2020). This section outlines both historical and current definitions of humility, attempting to answer 'what is humility?'.

Philosophical history

Some of the earliest references to humility occur in philosophical literature. While exact definitions vary, many agree that humility is an important virtue. Kantian philosophers provide one of the most comprehensive definitions of humility, suggesting that humility encapsulates the idea that an individual should be able to acknowledge they are dependent on others and corrupt, but are also a capable being with dignity and rationality (Grenberg, 2005). This point of view aligns with more current definitions that humility is the act of not believing oneself to be superior to others, but equal to them.

Religious perspectives

Humility is deeply rooted in many Christian teachings, traditions and art (see Figure 2). In the bible, Jesus is a perfect exemplification of humility, evidenced through actions like his submission to unjustifiable torture (Wikipedia humility) Additionally, references promoting humility are made throughout the bible including "[...] Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" and "He who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12) (Kellenberger, 2010; Wikipedia humility).

In Islamic history, humility (khushūʿ/tawāḍuʿ) is a central concept in Muslim piety and the Qurʾān. It is seen to be the opposite of pride (kibr), which is deemed a sin. It is also considered to be quality leading to salvation, evidenced by scripture statements like “successful indeed are the faithful, who are humble (khāshiʿūn) in their prayers” (Q 23:1–2) (Khalil., 2020).

Another religion in which humility is heavily valued is Buddhism, where it is believed to be an essential trait in reaching enlightenment (Rassulov., 2023). In buddhist scripture, judging others, or believing oneself to be superior to others is seen as immoral (Rassulov., 2023; Wikipedia humility).

Overall, religious perspectives tend to consider and define humility as a virtue.

Current understanding

More recently, empirical research has been rapidly advancing to operationalise a definition for humility (Krause & Hayward, 2014). However, systematic reviews of literature examining the topic suggest an exact conceptualisation is it yet to be determined (AlSheddi, 2020). Although one particularly popular interpretation among psychological theorists does exist, which regards humility to be a dispositional quality one possesses (Nielsen & Marrone., 2018). Further research has theorised that humility may best be conceptualised as a series of subdomains rather than singular concept. One particularly prominent subdomain in literature is intellectual humility which refers to humility regarding ones[grammar?] own beliefs and worldview (AlSheddi, 2020). Further, cultural humility, an alternative for cultural competency, and relational humility, referring to an individual being other orientated, are also popular (AlSheddi, 2020). This interpretation, which acknowledges humility as more than a virtue, has prompted further research into understanding the possibility of a dark side of a trait (Weidman et al., 2016).

Limitations conceptualising humility

While numerous definitions of humility have been proposed, due to lack of empirical research into the construct, psychological theorists have not yet reached consensus on the meaning of the term (Davis et al., 2017; Krause & Hayward, 2014). Part of the difficulty in defining humility is due to it being complex to reliably test. This is because current measures rely on the use of self-report methods and direct observation, potentially leading to social-desirability bias and the Hawthorne effect (Nielsen & Marrone., 2018). This indicates a call for more valid and reliable measures to be developed.

Quiz yourself!

What causes it?

In recent decades, psychological theorists have explored a range of possibilities as to the cause of humility. The role of personality traits, positive psychology perspectives, religion and social contexts, and social learning theory have been considered. This section explores such research and outline potential limitations.

Personality and trait theory

One of the most prominent theories as to the cause of humility is regarding human personality, specifically that humility is a trait one possesses. A trait, characterised as an aspect of personality that is stable, differs across individuals and consistent over situations, is the major tenet of trait theory. Through the use of factor analysis, numerous personality traits have been discovered over the last several decades, leading to the creation of the HEXACO model and the Big 5 (Novikova et al., 2013). Of these models, the HEXACO model includes the honesty/humility (H-H) factor. H-H encapsulated the tendency for an individual to be fair and genuine, refrain from manipulation, and engage in humble behaviour and modesty (Ashton et al., 2014; Lee at al., 2019). Such tendencies are believed to be predictors of various behaviours in working environments (Lee et al., 2019). This perspective posits that humility is caused by an individual possessing either an innate or taught trait.

Positive psychology

One field that has paid particular attention to humility is positive psychology, a subfield of psychological science which investigates the conditions which assist individuals in reaching optimal function (Linley et al., 2006). Within this area, theorists suggest optimal functioning can be developed by nurturing character strengths (Kaufman, 2015; Positive psychology Wikipedia). Founder Martin Seligman and colleagues developed the VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) which purports that humility is a character strength which theorists believe to promote human flourishing (Park et al., 2004; Weidman et al., 2016). This perspective may propose that humility is, in a sense, 'caused' by one's desire to achieve optimal functioning and flourish.

Religion and cultural contexts

Religion and cultural context also play a critical role in the development of humility. Numerous religions perceive humility to be a virtue and in turn heavily promote it. In fact, research has found a significant association between religious practices and humility, and that those who engage in more religious practice demonstrate humility more often than those who do not (Krause & Hayward., 2014). These results indicate that within societies and contexts that promote devoutness to religion, it may be expected that members of these societies and those living in these contexts will demonstrate more humble behaviours.

Social learning theory

One particularly prominent psychological theory utilised to understand humility is social learning theory. Among popular parenting media, it is common to see articles discussing 'how to raise a humble child' (Eng., 2021). This idea of 'raising' a humble child stems from the concept of observational learning, a component of social learning theory. This concept was initially demonstrated by Albert Bandura in the famous 'Bobo doll experiment'. This study suggested that people learn behaviours and traits through observation of role models (Artino 2007; Bandura, 1977). Later conceptualisations of the theory included the idea of vicarious learning, suggesting that the reinforcement or punishment the model receives influences the likelihood of the observer engaging in the behaviour (Artino 2007).

This principle could be applied to humility. Children may learn to act humble as it is a behaviour demonstrated by perceived role models like, parents, teachers and siblings. If being humble is seen to receive positive feedback, a child would, in turn, adopt humble tendencies. For example, if parents engage in humility because it is part of their religious practice and they receive praise from society members, their children would likely adopt similar tendencies. In contrast, opposing traits to humility, like bragging often receive negative reinforcement, and adopting this behaviour becomes less desirable.

Social learning theory also proposes that motivation affects whether one mimics (or does not mimicking) a behaviour. If a person believes there are anticipated consequences or rewards to a behaviour, it will influence their motivation to engage in such behaviour (Social learning theory Wikipedia).

Case study: The Bobo Doll Experiment

In Albert Bandura (see Figure 3) and colleagues renowned 1961 study 'The Bobo Doll Experiment", how behaviour is taught through observation was demonstrated. The study assessed 72 preschool children assigned to 3 conditions. In the first condition, 24 children observed an adult playing aggressively with an Bobo doll. In the second condition, another 24 children observed an adult playing non-aggressively with the doll, and a final control condition the remaining children observed no model. The study concluded that children who observed the aggressive model mimicked that same behaviour when playing with the Bobo doll themselves. This finding suggested that behaviour, particularly aggression, was taught through observation of others (Artino 2007; Bandura, 1977). This same idea could be applied to humility.

Cautions in interpretation

There are several theories that attempt to incapsulate[spelling?] exactly what causes humility. While many offer a promising explanation, it is important to note that just because research reveals correlations between factors (eg. religion and humility), this does not necessarily mean that such factors cause humility. Determining causation of anything is incredibly difficult to determine, indicating a need for further psychological inquiry into this area of research. Further, much of this work is largely theoretical and empirical work to support an exact 'cause' of humility is yet to be developed.

Further, proposed causes of humility slightly overlap. For example, positive psychology encapsulates the idea of 'character strengths' which some consider to be a type of personality trait (Park et al., 2004). Further, religious and cultural contexts could work in combination with the central ideas to social learning theory. Therefore it could be reasonable to conclude that humility does not have one specific cause and could instead be a result of numerous combined factors.

Table 1.

Summarising the key causes of humility

Proposed cause	Explanation
Personality and trait theory	Personality and trait theories HEXACO model proposes an honesty/humility factor. Argues that humility is a personality trait someone possesses.
Positive psychology	Posits that humility is the result of an individual fostering character strengths to achieve optimal functioning.
Religion and cultural context	Suggests that some religious and cultural contexts promote and encourage humble behaviour.
Social learning theory	Proposes that humility is a taught behaviour. Individuals learn the behaviour by observing others and examining whether humble behaviour earns reinforcement or punishment.

Is it desirable?

Recent interest in humility as a scientific concept rather than virtue has prompted study into understanding potential dark sides to the trait. This section outlines the advantages and disadvantages of humility.

Advantages

[Provide more detail]

Mental health

Research has demonstrated that humility has a positive correlation with advantageous mental health outcomes[factual?]. Some of these include markers for improved psychological wellbeing through enhancing optimism, hope, positive self-esteem, openness to experience, which together promote more secure attachments styles (Wright et al., 2016).

Social relationships

Demonstrating humility may also have benefits to social relationships. Being that humility is often considered a desirable trait, it would be reasonable to expect that those who demonstrate it would be perceived as likeable (Exline & Geyer., 2004). Studies have found that humble traits correlate with behaviours often valued in healthy interpersonal relationships. For example, humility is said to correlate with lower rates of infidelity, more cooperative and emphatic[spelling?] tendencies, and being less likely to engage in greedy, vengeful, aggressive and manipulative acts (Wright et al., 2016). Additionally, research has demonstrated that humility is associated with less prejudice towards out-groups like refuges[spelling?], religious groups and sexual minorities. This in turn has an advantage in managing religious, political and social conflicts (AlSheddi, 2020). Further, by demonstrating humility, individuals avoid engaging in socially undesirable tendencies like bragging or appearing egotistical, and may therefore be perceived as more likeable. Together, these results indicate that humility may contribute to the development of healthier and stronger interpersonal relationships and enhanced group status (Wright et al., 2016).

Leadership and the workplace

Due to the role humility is suspected to play in promoting socially appreciated behaviours, its effect on relationships in the workplace has become a prominent area of research, particularly in the field of organisational psychology (Nielsen & Marrone., 2018; Zhong et al., 2020). Vast amounts of research, including a meta=analysis of over 200 studies (Chandler et al., 2023), has revealed a general consensus that humble leadership has numerous benefits to employees, the organisation and the leader themselves. Humble leadership is associated with greater employee wellbeing, performance, satisfaction, perceived psychological safety as well as less exhaustion and fewer turnover intentions (Chandler et al., 2023; Lee et al., 2019; Zhong et al., 2020). In terms of benefits to the organisation, humble leadership enhances organisational citizenship behaviour, employees commitment, trust, innovation, creativity and better team cooperation and performance. It also decreases counterproductive work behaviour. (Chandler et al., 2023; Lee et al., 2019; Liu et al., 2022). Finally, humble leadership also benefits the leader themselves, with studies reporting that humble leaders demonstrate attributes like authenticity and accountability, and behaviours like competence and effectiveness as well as demonstration of leadership styles that are ethical and empowering (Chandler et al., 2023).

Disadvantages

Impacts on mental health

While humility is shown to benefit mental health, some researchers suggest humility may hold a inverted U shaped relationship, in that too much humility may begin to cause adverse effects (Chandler et al., 2023). Research proposes that those who are 'too' humble be more likely to experience harsh self-criticism, causing them to feel like more of failure and humiliation, which in turn develops into lower self-esteem, feelings of guilt and depression (Exline & Geyer., 2004; Wright et al., 2016). Together, these events adversely impact the individuals overall mental health, potentially leading to the development of mental illness, having a flow on effect to physical health outcomes for both adolescents and older people (Keenan-Miller at al., 2007; McCusker at al., 2007).

Impacts on social relationships

Those who are 'too' humble may also experience adverse outcomes in terms of social relationships. For example, individuals who demonstrate humility may be less likely to discuss their strengths, even at appropriate times, and may be more likely to overly advertise their limitations. In situations in which others prefer someone who appears flawless and confident, this may be detrimental and damage social or workplace relationships (Exline & Geyer., 2004).

Case study: The problem with being 'too' humble

One context in which humility can pose a problem is during job interviews (see Figure 4). Mitchell is applying for a job as a manager at a marketing firm. His interviewer Kate says to Mitchell "Tell me about your accomplishments, what did you achieve in your last job?". Mitchell, in an effort not to brag and remain humble, explains "I didn't do anything too important, really all of my achievements should be attributed to my old team, we all worked hard to complete projects together". Mitchell neglects to explain that he often took charge of these teams and guided them to complete tasks. After his response, Kate views Mitchell as a good team player, but worries he doesn't take charge enough to be in a manger position. Unfortunately, Mitchell does not get the job. Instead, Kate hires Dylan who highlighted his leadership skills during his interview.

Self-esteem

Self-esteem, is a concept intertwined with humility. Having 'too' much humility can lead to harsh self criticism, lowering one's self-esteem and damaging mental health. In contrast, having self-esteem that is 'too' high, may cause people to overlook their limitations, develop narcissistic tendencies and an enhanced sense of self importance, and they may therefore demonstrate a lack of humility (Self-esteem, Wikiversity)

Conclusion

Humility has been referenced in philosophical and religious literature for centuries. While such literature suggests humility is a virtue, more contemporary work has proposed humility is a trait best be understood as a series of subdomains. However, due to lack of reliable testing methods, a consensus as to what defines humility is yet to be determined.

Numerous psychological theorists attempt to explain what causes humility. Personality theorists developed the honesty-humility factor suggesting humility is personality trait one develops like any other. Another popular approach is by positive psychologists who posit that humility is developed by a desire to reach optimal function. Contrastingly, other perspectives place a heavier emphasis on the role of nurture, suggesting that religious and cultural contexts which promote humble behaviour may be the cause. Finally, social learning theory suggests that through observational learning and vicarious reinforcement, people are taught to be humble.

Research supports benefits of humility to improving mental health, bettering social relationships and fostering healthier leader and employee relationships. However, some suggest being 'too' humble can adversely impact mental health by worsening social relationships and making people more self-critical. Through examination of research there appears to be both pros and cons to humility, with research suggesting there may be a 'sweet spot' somewhere in the middle.

Overall, due to lack of empirical research into humility, much of what is currently known is theoretical and lacks definite conclusions. This suggests a need for further psychological investigation into the topic of humility.

Key takeaways

Humility has historically been understood as a virtue but is now considered a personality trait with dimensions
Has numerous potential causes including relating to personality traits, positive psychology, religious and cultural context and social learning theory
Humility has advantages to mental health, social relationships and leadership
However 'too' much humility has can have negative impacts to mental health and social relationships
There may be an inverted 'U' relationship when it comes to understanding if humility is desirable

References

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Rassulov, R. (2023) Humility: The Power of Staying Low. That’s Philosophical. https://thatsphilosophical.substack.com/p/humility

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Wright, J. C., Nadelhoffer, T., Perini, T., Langville, A., Echols, M., & Venezia, K. (2016). The psychological significance of humility. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12(1), 3–12. https://doi-org.ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/10.1080/17439760.2016.1167940

Zhong, J., Zhang, L., Li, P., & Zhang, D. Z. (2020). Can leader humility enhance employee wellbeing? The mediating role of employee humility. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 41(1), 19-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-03-2019-0124

External links

Bobo doll experiment (Simple psychology, 2024)
How to build your child’s self esteem while keeping them humble (Parents Together, 2021)