Why Self-Deprecation Drives Me Crazy

Not too many things drive me crazy.  However, when people belittle or undervalue themselves (self-deprecation) in the name of humility...aaack!

I've been reading a lot of Frederick Buechner lately and here is how he defines humility:
    "Humility is often confused with the polite self-deprecation of saying you're not much of a bridge player when you know perfectly well you are.  Conscious or otherwise, this kind of humility is a form of gamesmanship.
    If you aren't much of a bridge player, you're apt to be rather proud of yourself for admitting it so humbly.  This kind of humility is a form of low comedy.

    True humility doesn't consist of thinking ill of yourself but of not thinking of yourself much differently from the way you'd be apt to think of anybody else.  It is the capacity for being no more and no less pleased when you play your own hand well than when your opponents do."

Wishful Thinking, A Seeker's ABC, Frederick Buechner

Thoughts?

Comments

[Danny Glover]

Best definition of humility I have ever heard: Know who you are. Know who God is. Don't get the two confused!

DG

[Carrie]

I am with you on this. 3 points: 1. The world does a good job in impressing on all of us that we're just "not enough.." 2. Words have a tremendous power, so why speak negatively about ourselves and 3. Aren't we insulting God when we do that?

Thank you for bringing this up.

[Dave Soper]

I read the part about “low comedy” several times. Looked up “low comedy”. Don’t quite get this part of the quote.

This guy reminds me of C. S. Lewis a bit. Is he the one where you read about a definition of coveting or jealousy? Looked through your Blogs for it but couldn’t find it. That quote brought Romans 7:7-8 to life for me as I experienced bitter jealousy on an occasion.