This is a short episode to share one of the most powerful lessons I’ve learned in my life– the lesson of humility. What I learned has largely contributed to the birth of this project, You Are Admirable.
Cheers,
Steven
How to Measure Humility: Michael Jordan and Outward vs. Genuine Humility
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Wanted to share this response I received from the very admirable Eric Funk:
[This episode] brought up an interesting memory. Svoboda once asked me, “who is your favorite composer?” I paused and pondered and finally, haltingly came out with favorite movements from pieces by composers I admired. After that, he said, “The answer is that YOU should be your favorite composer. If you’re not, change things until you are.” Such a difficult moment. Culturally we are taught to be humble, outwardly and inwardly. Here was someone from a different culture challenging that. Probably the semantics involved pride of craftsmanship, knowing you’d done your most exceptional work and trusting the quality of it.
Interesting delineation.
…[The Svoboda story above] needs this additional thought to rid the potential of seeming arrogant: I realized a few years back that ‘peace on earth’ was probably not possible. There can’t be an end to oppression as long as someone wants to be the oppressor. So, what’s the point in marching for or striving for peace? It isn’t achieving it. It’s the process of trying to achieve it that adds an important ingredient to the world and to the self. We’re so goal oriented. We want results. But, as Einstein penned, “the brighter the light, the bigger the proportionate darkness”. I think I mentioned that in our talk. For everyone, this translates to “the more you know, the more you become aware of that which you do not know (yet)”. Not ‘being’ my favorite composer but rather ‘striving to be’ is the point, the process of ever becoming.
Thanks Eric!