The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller

Phillips Brooks, in his timeless wisdom, speaks of the essence of humility, stripping away the false images men often carry: “The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is.” Here he teaches that humility is not self-degradation, not a performance of weakness, but the recognition of our true measure when placed beside the infinite. To be humble is not to deny one’s worth, but to know that even our greatest triumphs are but sparks compared to the eternal flame of truth and divinity.

The origin of this teaching comes from Brooks’ life as a preacher and thinker, a man steeped in both the Christian faith and in the philosophy of human character. In an age where pride and ambition often masked themselves as strength, he urged his listeners to seek a higher measure. True greatness, he insisted, is not found in lowering oneself artificially, but in daring to stand fully as one is, only to realize that even then, there are heights beyond reach. This is humility born not of denial, but of awe.

History gives us many examples of this truth. Consider Isaac Newton, who after unraveling the laws of gravity and motion, confessed that he felt like a child playing with pebbles on the shore, while the great ocean of truth lay undiscovered before him. Newton did not shrink himself to feign modesty—he stood at his full height, yet recognized his smallness against the vast cosmos. In this, he lived Brooks’ vision of humility: the recognition of our limited greatness before the boundless.

So too did Abraham Lincoln embody this spirit. Though entrusted with power at the height of national crisis, he never carried himself with arrogance. He accepted his role with solemn gravity, aware that the destiny of a nation lay not in his greatness alone, but in a cause higher than himself—justice, unity, and liberty. His humility was not self-belittlement, but the steady acknowledgment that he served a principle far greater than his own ambition.

The emotional weight of Brooks’ words lies in their defiance of false humility. Too often people mistake humility for self-contempt, speaking as though they are unworthy of anything good. But such false stooping is only vanity in disguise. True humility is courageous: to acknowledge your gifts, your strength, your stature, and yet to know that even these are but fragments when set against the immensity of God, nature, or eternal truth. It is in this balance that one finds peace and clarity.

The lesson is clear: stand at your full height. Do not deny your talents, your wisdom, your calling. But always place yourself beside something greater—whether the vastness of the stars, the majesty of mountains, the depth of moral truth, or the presence of the divine. Then you will see your greatness for what it is: real, yet small, precious, yet limited. And from that vision arises not despair, but reverence and responsibility.

Practically, this means to walk with both confidence and awe. In your daily life, do not shrink from the gifts given to you; use them boldly. But temper your pride by regularly lifting your gaze—contemplate the scale of the universe, the span of history, the unyielding demands of justice and compassion. In prayer, meditation, or reflection, let yourself be reminded that you are part of something larger. Such practice will free you from both arrogance and false modesty, anchoring you in true humility.

Thus, Phillips Brooks calls us to a higher path: not to stoop in pretense, but to stand upright, and in standing, to see how high the heavens rise above us. This is the humility of the wise, the strength of those who serve not themselves but the eternal. Carry this teaching with you, O seeker, and let your greatness be tempered with reverence, that you may walk humbly yet powerfully upon the earth.