Humility and Humiliation

Humility and Humiliation Humility and Humiliation Humility and Humiliation By Maeve Maddox I heard a television interview subject express compassion for previously independent Gulf Coast fishermen whod had to go through the humility of accepting financial help. The word wanted in that context was humiliation, not humility. Wanting to see if it were a common error, I did a web search. Sure enough, I found more examples: †¦each member of our family suffered humility and loss of face in public †¦having to submit to the humility of having to ask for new shoes †¦the humility of having to ask for so many payment options †¦hope they never know the humility of having to ask for help. In some religious writing the words humility and humiliation may overlap, but in modern secular usage, the words have distinct meanings. humiliation: the act of humiliating or condition of being humiliated; abasement. humility: The quality of being humble or having a lowly opinion of oneself; meekness, lowliness: the opposite of pride or haughtiness. Humiliation is a bad thing. Its a painful emotion that we feel when weve been shamed. No one should be treated in such an unfeeling, bureaucratic way as to be humiliated. Humility is a good thing. It is a virtue that has become very rare in a culture that even goes so far as to begin sentences with me and myself. A humble person gives credit where its due. A humble person acknowledges others and respects their dignity, talents, and opinions. Humility is not weakness; its a spirit of self-examination that prevents one from becoming selfish and arrogant. The word humiliation applies to a negative state of debasement inflicted by persons or conditions outside oneself. Verbs that go with the word humility are not suffer or endure, but practice or cultivate. NOTE: One often sees the word humbleness, but it seems wasteful to use a -ness form when the distinctive abstract noun humility exists. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to Use â€Å"That,† â€Å"Which,† and â€Å"Who†50 Idioms About Fruits and Vegetables25 Favorite Portmanteau Words