On Humility
“I find I am much prouder of the victory I obtain over myself, when, in the very ardor of dispute, I make myself submit to my adversary’s force of reason, than I am pleased with the victory I obtain over him through his weakness.” - Michel de Montaigne
This titanic philosopher of the French renaissance succinctly points out the relief felt when succumbing to superior reasoning and the deep humility it takes to overcome ourselves and our egotism. It is far nobler and truly speaks to your capacity to reason when you recognize the superiority of your opponents' position and allow it to shake your confidence in your own. The end goal of the art of logic, or dialectic, is to arrive at something more akin to the truth and to advance and conquer our own ignorance. It is the height of pride to believe that others are incapable of superior reasoning and logical analysis.
It is a sign of profound courage to question what we believe we understand. It takes that self-same courage to acknowledge the limits of our understanding. We can come to realize this courage through the virtue of humility. No matter what creed, school of philosophy, or upbringing you may come from, we all have the universal ability to do one very human thing: acknowledge our imperfections. No matter how rigorous our educations, no matter how vaunted our intellects, we are all capable of flawed thinking and inaccurate judgments. This is very worthy of bearing in mind no matter what our station and what subjects we find ourselves debating. It is effortless and very human to be carried away by our pride and identification with our opinions on whatever issue we may discuss or debate. One of the many marks of true enlightenment is the wisdom to know that we do not possess absolute knowledge. The greatest wisdom is in knowing our own shortcomings.
Keep in mind that this is not an advocation for undue humility. To paraphrase C.S. Lewis, this is not the attitude that leads pretty women to think themselves unattractive, nor the humility that leads intelligent men to believe themselves fools. Humility allows us to perceive both our faults and shortcomings and our finer and nobler qualities objectively without the stain of hubris or shame. Humility, like all virtues, exists on a spectrum that is bookended by both excess and lack. We should strive to find the golden mean or the middle way that is the most healthful expression of the virtue you are seeking.
We must always ask ourselves. What if our opponent is right? We should consider this question fully when contending with complex and nuanced ideas because through this question we more swiftly arrive at a proper understanding of our position and the opposing position. We must attack even our own ideas with a fervor that matches our crusades against the opinions we disagree with. It is through this rigorous and ruthless self-examination we that we chip away at our own infirmities and imperfections. It is through this reflection that we come to a better grasp of the Truth.
Remember this always: the aim and the end of healthy discourse are to arrive at the truth. Through the liberating effects of the arts of grammar, logic, and rhetoric we are all able to partake in this sacred quest. You will respect yourself, and others will respect you far more if you concede when faced with a logically superior or more convincing argument than if you take your stand on a hill you would be far better served abandoning.