If you aren't humble, whatever empathy you claim is false and

Hear, O seekers of truth and compassion, the words of Anand Mahindra, a leader of industry and a thinker of wisdom, who declared: “If you aren’t humble, whatever empathy you claim is false and probably results from some arrogance or the desire to control. But true empathy is rooted in humility and the understanding that there are many people with as much to contribute in life as you.” In this saying lies a teaching as sharp as a sword and as tender as a prayer: that without humility, the virtue of empathy is but a shadow, a mask worn for pride or power.

The origin of this insight comes from Mahindra’s own role as a leader among men, guiding enterprises that touch countless lives. In such a position, he saw clearly that power can deceive, that those who rise high may believe themselves superior. Yet he also saw that the greatest leaders are those who listen, who honor the smallest voice, who understand that wisdom and worth are not the possession of the few but the inheritance of all. His words are not mere theory but born of experience: that empathy without humility is manipulation, but empathy with humility is truth.

Consider this deeply. To feel pity without respect is not empathy, but condescension. To listen while believing yourself above the one who speaks is not compassion, but arrogance disguised. True empathy is not the bending of the ear alone, but the bowing of the heart. It is to recognize the other as equal, to acknowledge that their joys, sorrows, and wisdom are as real and as weighty as your own. Only the humble can see this clearly, for pride blinds the eye and deafens the ear.

History gives us witnesses. Think of Mahatma Gandhi, who clothed himself in the garments of the poor and walked among them not as a ruler, but as a brother. His empathy for the suffering of the people of India did not arise from superiority, but from humility—from the recognition that their struggles were his own. Because of this, millions followed him, not out of fear, but out of trust. Contrast him with rulers who spoke of compassion yet ruled with arrogance; their so-called empathy was only a cloak for control, and their reigns ended in ashes.

The meaning, then, is profound: the foundation of true empathy is the surrender of the self’s false crown. To be humble is to stand not above, but beside. To be humble is to know that no single person, however rich, learned, or powerful, has the monopoly on truth or value. From this soil of humility springs the flower of empathy, fragrant and lasting. Without humility, empathy withers into pretense, serving not others, but the ego of the one who claims it.

The lesson, O listener, is clear. Do not be content with false compassion, nor allow your heart to be deceived by the pride of superiority. If you wish to truly understand and uplift others, cast down your arrogance, silence your hunger for control, and walk in humility. For only then will your empathy be genuine, your compassion untainted, and your relationships rooted in respect.

Practical wisdom shall guide you: listen more than you speak, for listening is the servant of humility. Acknowledge the worth of others, even in the smallest tasks, for dignity belongs to all. Examine your motives, lest your kindness hide the desire for power. And above all, practice humility daily—remembering that every person you meet carries a story, a strength, a wisdom as worthy as your own.

Thus let the words of Anand Mahindra endure: “True empathy is rooted in humility.” Carry this teaching as a lamp in your dealings with others. For when humility and empathy walk together, hearts are healed, communities are strengthened, and the world moves closer to the harmony for which all souls long.