I want to stay humble, but I have to talk because the other guys

The warrior of the octagon, Khabib Nurmagomedov, once declared: “I want to stay humble, but I have to talk because the other guys talk too much, and... I understand the crazy power the UFC PR machine has.” In these words he unveils the tension between humility and power, between silence that preserves dignity and speech that wins influence. He shows that in an age of spectacle, even the man who desires stillness must sometimes raise his voice, lest his truth be drowned by the roar of others.

The origin of this wisdom lies in Khabib’s own journey. A fighter forged in discipline, trained in the mountains of Dagestan, he cherished humility, knowing that boasting dishonors the warrior’s path. Yet in the world of the UFC, where rivals built empires of attention with taunts and words, he saw the machinery of public relations—a force that could lift a man to glory or bury him in obscurity. Thus he learned that even the humble must speak when silence would mean defeat not in combat, but in perception.

History bears witness to this same struggle. Marcus Aurelius, emperor and philosopher, longed for a life of quiet thought, but duty compelled him to speak and rule amidst the noise of empire. He wrote in his Meditations not to boast, but to remind himself of the necessity of balance: to be strong without arrogance, to be visible without vanity. Like Khabib, he knew that silence alone could not preserve power, for the world listens most to those who dare to speak.

The ancients also saw the danger of unchecked voices. In Athens, demagogues rose not by wisdom but by noise, swaying the crowd with words rather than deeds. Socrates himself fell victim to such clamor, condemned not for guilt but because others spoke louder. From this, too, we learn Khabib’s truth: that silence may be noble, but when falsehoods ring out, the just must answer.

Therefore, O seekers, take this lesson: guard your humility, but do not mistake it for silence at all costs. When the world is filled with empty voices, your voice must rise—not to boast, but to anchor truth amidst noise. Understand, as Khabib did, the power of words and the machinery that multiplies them. Use that power wisely, neither in vanity nor in fear, but in strength and purpose. For the warrior’s honor is not only in the strike of his hand, but in the clarity of his speech when the world demands it.