Humility is the quality of being humble. Dictionary definitions accentuate humility as a low self -regard and sense of unworthiness. In a religious context humility can mean a recognition of self in relation to a deity (i.e. God) or deities, and self -debasement with subsequent submission to said deity as a member of that religion. Outside of a religious context, humility is defined as being "unselved", a liberation from consciousness of self, a form of temperance that is neither having pride ( or haughtiness) nor indulging in self -deprecation.Humility is an outward expression of an appropriate inner, or self regard, and is contrasted with humiliation which is an imposition, often external, of shame upon a person. Humility may be misappropriated as ability to suffer humiliation through self -denouncements which in itself remains focused on self rather than low self -focus.Humility, in various interpretations, is widely seen as a virtue which centers on low self -preoccupation, or unwillingness to put oneself forward, so it is in many religious and philosophical traditions, it contrasts with narcissism, hubris and other forms of pride and is an idealistic and rare intrinsic construct that has an extrinsic side.
Term
The term "humility" comes from the Latin word humilitas, a noun related to the adjective humilis, which may be translated as "humble", but also as "grounded", or "from the earth ", since it derives from humus ( earth ). See the English humus.The word "humble" may be related to feudal England where the lowest cuts of meat, or 'umbles',' that is to say whatever was left over when the upper classes had taken their parts, were provided to the lowest class of citizen. The term 'humble pie,' meaning to exist in a lowly station, may derive from this definition.
Mythology
Aidos, in Greek mythology, was the daimona ( goddess ) of shyness, shame, and humility.
