Thinking Out Loud ~ A Bit of Humility Goes a Long Way

Yes, One Can Be Too Full of Him/Herself

Saint-Exupéry writes in The Little Prince of the Little Prince visiting another planet, this planet is inhabited by a vainglorious man. The Little Prince asked the vainglorious man a question,

“But the vainglorious man did not hear it. The van glorious man only hears praise. ‘Do you really admire me a lot?'” he asked the little prince.

“What does admire mean?”

“Admiring means recognizing that I’m the most handsome, the best dressed, the richest, and the most intelligent man on the planet.”

“But you’re alone on your planet!”

“Do me this favor. Admire me anyway.”

NOTE: Have you ever been in the presence of people like the van glorious man? I have and it’s not a pleasant experience. They only talk about themselves and their interests as they drone on. Those who are like the vainglorious man are unable to learn from the vast diversity of people that surround them. When we open ourselves to listening to and learning from the vast diversity of people who surround us our worldview broadens, and we grasp a greater understanding and compassionate feel for other human beings.