Arrogance is a beast that never tires, never stops, and can’t be defeated. It never compromises.
Arrogance never cohabitates with your best self.
Arrogance is an enemy that dilutes the joys of life and degrades the value of others.
Arrogance tells you:
-
You’re right when you’re wrong.
-
Talk when you should shut-up.
-
Others aren’t serving you enough.
-
Feel threatened when others shine.
-
You are special, better-than.
Defensiveness is arrogance.
Feeling neglected is usually arrogance asking, “What about me?”
The worst thing you can do is try to defeat arrogance.
Don’t fight arrogance:
Arrogance enjoys your resistance. It taunts you into a fight and smiles when you raise your sword.
Everyone who fights arrogance is a noble fool.
The moment you raise your sword against arrogance is the moment of defeat because the fight against arrogance makes you arrogant.
The belief that arrogance can be defeated is the deadliest arrogance of all.
Practice humility:
You can’t defeat arrogance, but you can practice humility. Even here we are in peril because arrogance cheers when you notice how humble you are.
#1. Remember shoulders.
You practice humility by acknowledging and appreciating the shoulders you stand on. I read that Isaac Newton said, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”
Practice humility by sending an email to someone who helped you get where you are today. Better yet, give them a call.
#2. Explore ideas.
Arrogance knows. Humility learns.
The best ideas to explore belong to someone else, a person down in the trenches, for example.
#3. Be curious about people.
Arrogance talks about itself. Humility learns about others. Record everything you learn about people everyday for a week.
Humility is never fully attained and arrogance is never fully defeated.
By Dan Rockwell