Quote of the Day (Frank Bruni, on Grievance and Humility)

“While grievance blows our concerns out of proportion, humility puts them in perspective. While grievance reduces the people with whom we disagree to caricature, humility acknowledges that they're every bit as complex as we are—with as much of a stake in creating a more perfect union.” —Columnist and educator Frank Bruni, “The Most Important Lessons Aren’t on the Syllabus,” The New York Times, Apr. 21, 2024

Quote of the Day (Tobias Wolff, Urging a ‘Turn Away From Power to Love’)

“Mend your lives. You have deceived yourselves in the pride of your hearts, and the strength of your arms. Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, thence I will bring you down, says the Lord. Turn away from power to love. Be kind. Do justice. Walk humbly."—American novelist, short-story writer, and memoirist Tobias Wolff, title story from In the Garden of the North American Martyrs (1981)

Happy birthday to Tobias Wolff, born 80 years ago today in Birmingham, AL!

(The image accompanying this post, showing Tobias Wolff at an event at Kepler's in Menlo Park for his short story collection Our Story Begins, was taken Apr. 25, 2008, by Mark Coggins from San Francisco.)

Spiritual Quote of the Day (Karen Armstrong, on Serenity Vs. ‘The Nervous Craving to Promote Yourself’)

“Once you gave up the nervous craving to promote yourself, denigrate others, draw attention to your unique and special qualities, and ensure that you were first in the pecking order, you experienced an immense peace.”— British religion scholar Karen Armstrong, The Case for God (2009)

Spiritual Quote of the Day (Henri Nouwen, on Jesus and ‘Success, Popularity, and Power’)

“Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity, and power is a false identity — an illusion! Loudly and clearly he says: 'You are not what the world makes you; but you are children of God.'”—Dutch-born Catholic priest, theologian, psychologist and writer Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), Here and Now: Living in the Spirit (1994)

Spiritual Quote of the Day (Rick Warren, on Humility)

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.”— Christian pastor Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here for? (2002)

The image accompanying this post, of Rick Warren speaking at the 2006 TED conference, was taken Feb. 23, 2006 by Steve Jurvetson.

Quote of the Day (Lisa Miller, on Politicians and Humility)

“When politicians start talking about humility, as they do ritualistically after elections, the warning light on the BS detector goes on. Surely no professional group has a weaker claim to that virtue than today's divided, self-righteous, and spin-savvy politicians. And too often the politicians (and religious leaders) who do make a case for humility have the least basis for doing so. In an August 2007 speech, then–New York governor Eliot Spitzer expounded upon Reinhold Niebuhr and the virtues of humility in the public square. ‘What I'd like to reflect on today, and this may come as a surprise to some of you,’ he said, ‘are the inevitable risks that occur when [political] passion and conviction are not sufficiently tempered by humility.’ Seven months later, he resigned, tagged forever as ‘client No. 9.’”—American journalist Lisa Miller, “Humble Pie Eating Contest,” Newsweek, Nov. 15, 2010

Ms. Miller does not mention that, well before Spitzer became “client No. 9,” he could very easily have been nicknamed “Governor Steamroller” for his snarled boast to a GOP Assemblyman.

These days, I don’t think that Spitzer is as eager to brag about his one lasting claim on America’s cultural consciousness: As an inspiration for the long-running drama series, The Good Wife.

Spiritual Quote of the Day (Sister Helen Prejean, on Humility)

“I think the root word is humus, from the soil. It's not unrelated to ecology, to [one's] place among things. You don't exaggerate it; you don't put it down…. You know, Jesus, if people hadn't known him, you'd think he was a farmer. A farmer is humbled because the farmer obeys the seasons, puts the seed in the ground and recognizes that things have to grow and that there's a time for harvest. It's that recognition that things are going to happen outside of us, that are bigger than us, but we just play a little part.”—Catholic nun, social activist and Dead Man Walking author Sister Helen Prejean, quoted in “Soapbox: The Columnists—WSJ. Asks Six Luminaries To Weigh in on a Single Topic; This Month: Humility,” WSJ.  Magazine (the monthly magazine of The Wall Street Journal), June/July 2021

The image of Sister Helen that accompanies this post was taken on Sept. 19, 2006 by Don LaVange from Pleasant Grove, UT.

Quote of the Day (James Lee Burke, on Why ‘Vanity in an Artist is Pernicious’)

“William Faulkner, right before his death, said, had I not written the books, another hand would have written them for me. And I think every artist knows that. That’s why vanity in an artist is pernicious and the virtue of humility is not a virtue, it’s a necessity. There is nothing that will kill talent more quickly and with more certainty than pride or self-aggrandizement about one’s gift. This has been my experience. And without exception over the years, as soon as you see an artist, writer, anyone in the arts on television, bragging om his talent, using those horrible words I, me, mine, myself, he’s not at the peak of his career, he’s about ready to go right over the cliff.”—American mystery writer James Lee Burke, quoted in Andrew F. Gulli, “Interview: James Lee Burke,” The Strand Magazine, Issue LXI, 2020

Tweet of the Day (Pope Francis, on ‘Humility, Service and Love’)

“The world tells us to seek success, power and money; God tells us to seek humility, service and love.”—Pope Francis I, tweet of June 2, 2013

Spiritual Quote of the Day (St. Thomas of Villanova, on Humility, ‘Mother of Many Virtues’)

“Humility is the mother of many virtues. From it spring obedience, holy fear, reverence, patience, modesty, mildness and peace; for whoever is humble easily obeys everyone, fears to offend anyone, maintains peace with all, shows himself affable to all, is submissive to all, does not offend or displease any, and does not feel the insults which may be afflicted upon him. He is happy and contented, and in great peace.”—Spanish Augustinian friar, preacher, religious writer, archbishop, and “Father of the Poor” St. Thomas of Villanova (1488-1555), quoted in A Year With the Saints,

translated from the Italian by a member of the Order of Mercy, Mt. St. Joseph's Seminary, Hartford, Conn. (1891)

The image accompanying this post is Santo Tomas de Villanueva, by Spanish painter Francisco Camilo (1615-1671).

Quote of the Day (Oscar Levant, on What the World Needs)

“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”— American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor Oscar Levant (1906-1972), quoted in Gene Perret, On the 8th Day—God Laughed (1995).

Not to mention a “very stable genius.”

Quote of the Day (John Newton, on Love, Humility and Christ)

“I am persuaded that love and humility are the highest attainments in the school of Christ and the brightest evidences that He is indeed our Master.”—Anglican clergyman and hymn writer (“Amazing Grace”) John Newton (1725–1807), Aug. 31, 1757 letter to Rev. John Whitford, in Letters by The Rev. John Newton: Of Olney and St. Mary Woolnoth, edited by Josiah Bull (1869)