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Humility is the ability to recognise our strengths and achievements while also understanding that we are always learning and growing. It involves treating others with respect, valuing different perspectives and being willing to learn from mistakes. Humility is not about thinking less of ourselves, but about having an accurate view of ourselves and appreciating the contributions of others.
According to our Educational Project, humility encourages pupils to recognise their own abilities while remaining open to learning from others, fostering respect, gratitude and a sense of community.
Psychologist Carol Dweck (2006) explains that individuals with a growth mindset understand that abilities can be developed through effort, feedback and learning. Humility allows children and adults to acknowledge that they do not know everything and that improvement is always possible. Similarly, philosopher Confucius taught that wisdom begins with recognising what we do not know and remaining open to learning from others.
Humility nurtures empathy, resilience, gratitude and healthy relationships. Humble individuals are more likely to listen carefully, accept feedback, collaborate effectively and celebrate the successes of others without comparison or jealousy.
Research from the Harvard Graduate School of Education suggests that children develop humility when adults model respectful behaviour, encourage perspective-taking and focus on effort and growth rather than superiority or competition. When children learn that everyone has strengths and challenges, they become more compassionate, confident and open-minded.
Humility helps children understand that mistakes are opportunities to learn rather than signs of failure. It allows them to seek help when needed, appreciate the support of others and contribute positively to their communities.
Encouraging Humility in Daily Life
● Model humility: Let children see you admitting mistakes, asking for help and learning new things.
● Celebrate effort and growth: Focus praise on perseverance, kindness and learning rather than being "the best."
● Encourage gratitude: Help children notice the people who support them and appreciate others' contributions.
● Listen to different perspectives: Encourage respectful conversations and curiosity about others' ideas and experiences.
● Promote teamwork: Provide opportunities for children to collaborate and recognise the value each person brings to a group.
● Teach children to learn from mistakes: Help them understand that mistakes are part of learning and growth.
Conversation Starters
● "What is something you learnt from someone else recently?"
● "Can you think of a time when someone helped you achieve something?"
● "Why is it important to listen to other people's ideas?"
● "How do you feel when someone recognises your efforts?"
● "What can we learn from making mistakes?"
● "What does it mean to be confident and humble at the same time?"
Take Aways
Humility means recognising our strengths while remaining open to learning and growth.
Children develop humility when adults model respect, gratitude, and lifelong learning.
Humility strengthens relationships by encouraging empathy, listening, and collaboration.
Learning from mistakes helps children develop resilience and confidence.
Humble individuals appreciate the contributions of others and contribute positively to their communities.
Other resources to watch, read or listen to:
Carol Dweck discusses the importance of learning and perseverance.
Brené Brown TED Talk about courage, learning and authentic growth.
According to the Greater Good Science Center, humility is defined as the ability to see and accept your own strengths and limitations without defensiveness or judgment. It helps parents model life-long learning, admit mistakes, and connect deeply with their children.
A parenting classic that explores resilience, humility and character development.
Practical parenting strategies that foster self-regulation, confidence, resilience and humility.
Highlights the importance of character strengths such as perseverance, gratitude and humility.
Adults can help kids figure out how to approach their mistakes constructively by modeling this behavior. Talking openly about our own mistakes can be challenging, but doing so regularly teaches children that mistakes are something to learn from rather than something to hide.
La infancia es la etapa ideal para transmitir la humildad mediante el ejemplo directo de los padres. Este artículo, subraya que la gratitud y el perdón son pilares clave para incorporar esta virtud en la rutina diaria de los niños.
Guía donde encontrarán respuesta a las preguntas que pueden surgir a la hora de educar en este valor, pautas sobre cómo cultivarlo y recursos prácticos en los que puedes apoyar.
Bibliography
Brown, B. (2018). Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. Random House.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House.
Emmons, R. A. (2007). Thanks! How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier. Houghton Mifflin.
Exline, J. J., & Hill, P. C. (2012). Humility: A Consistent and Robust Predictor of Generosity. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 7(3), 208–218.
Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. Oxford University Press.
Tangney, J. P. (2000). Humility: Theoretical Perspectives, Empirical Findings and Directions for Future Research. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19(1), 70–82.
Tangney, J. P. (2009). "Humility." In The Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Worthington, E. L., Jr., Davis, D. E., & Hook, J. N. (Eds.). (2017). Handbook of Humility: Theory, Research, and Applications. Routledge.
Harvard Graduate School of Education. Making Caring Common Project. (Retrieved from the project's website.)
Greater Good Science Center. Articles and resources on humility, gratitude, and character strengths. University of California, Berkeley.
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