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Father Len explains why humility is the foundation for success in life.
Highlights, Ideas, and Wisdom
- There is an epidemic of narcissism in our current culture fueled by social media.
- Humility is the cure for narcissism.
- Father Len discusses the dangers of ego and self-obsession by comparing the psyche of movie stars to people in prison.
- Father Len shares the story of three superstars, Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, who joined the Miami Heat NBA basketball team thinking winning a championship would be easy with all their talent. Turns out it wasn’t so easy until humility became a key ingredient of the team.
- Human beings are very communal and emotions run through a community faster than a virus.
- Because of our communal nature, it turns out that when people see other people behaving morally or immorally, it’s likely they will mirror that behavior.
- Father Len shares the story of how tiny Butler University is able to compete and win against the much larger major powers in college basketball because of its team culture of humility.
- “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit” – sign on former president Ronald Reagan’s desk
- Ego destroys community because it traps people in a prison of self-obsession.
- Humility is not low self-esteem. It’s low self-preoccupation.
- The less we are preoccupied with thinking about ourselves the more room we have in our heads and hearts to think of others.
- Humility helps us connect emotionally with others.
- “Humility is the New Smart: Rethinking Human Excellence in the Smart Machine Age” by Edward D Hess & Katherine Ludwig
- Pride causes more problems than it solves.
- Humility is the gateway to an open mind because it allows us to process information without being defensive and reacting in fear.
- Humility allows us to see and accept reality.
- Humility inspires success.
- Success in life without humility can ruin you.
- The Bible is filled with stories about how God hates pride and arrogance and how and why humility makes us true human beings.
- The Bible says all those in heaven have humility written across their foreheads indicating the ultimate victory belongs to the humble.
- The proud want glory for themselves, not for the community, not for the business, not for the team, and not for God.
- Intelligence is not just being able to think and learn, but also the ability to unlearn and rethink. That requires humility.
- “Prayer is unlearning what the world has taught you.” – St. Bernard of Clairvaux
- We should feel as much joy in learning that we’re wrong as we felt in learning a truth.
- “I have this voice in my head telling me 20% of everything I think is right might be wrong.” – Father Len
- “Seek first to understand, then seek to be understood.” – Dr Stephen R Covey
- “Think Again: the Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know” by Adam Grant