17 June 2012

The Power of Humility: Pointing at Yourself

I always told myself that if I started a blog and had to take a long break from it due to being very busy, I would never make a lame attempt to apologize.

Now, on to the post.

There is a saying that makes the rounds from time to time, and it highlights an important aspect of the concept of humility.  The saying goes, "when you point a finger at someone else, you have three fingers pointing back at yourself."  The point of the saying is actually manifold.  It can mean that the person who makes an accusation will really be cutting himself down in the process.  In other words, the message is that you should not ever (or very, very rarely) point out the flaws in someone else.  This is, of course, an element of social propriety as much as anything.  Right or wrong, an accusation can create uncomfortable tension between people.  For this reason, it is seldom all that effective to deliberately point out the faults of others.

Another standard interpretation is that the accuser should be prepared to undergo a deeper scrutiny than the accused.  This interpretation gets us a little bit closer to the concept of humility.  The symbolic meaning of the pointed finger is that it becomes an offensive weapon to use against others.  We must be especially careful to defend against the accusation of hypocrisy if we intend to use this weapon.  The saying should remind us that we may well be guilty of the very thing we see in someone else, and perhaps even more so.

This second use of the saying can serve as an effective caution to the person who speaks out about the actions of others.  However, the classic posture of the humble saint is not that of the pointer.  Yet another interpretation of the saying turns it on its head in a curious and productive way.  If instead of using our finger to point at someone else we turn it on ourselves, the effect is that the three fingers end up pointing out from us and toward the world.  This is the mystery of the person of true humility:  he or she makes people uncomfortable, just by living a life of self-accusation.  This effect explains the origin and impact of religious communities and the process by which groups of saints spring up in proximity to one another.  There is something about holding oneself accountable that leads almost magically to the world doing the same.

Self accusation is not fun.  We live in a world where the necessary process of honing and shaping ourselves is considered unimportant, or even impossible.  The world's wisdom seems to suggest that if no one notices, or at least no one mentions anything, than the gripping, crushing weight of the sins we take upon ourselves will not truly touch us.  In reality, sin is like radiation.  It gradually accumulates in us until our bodies shut down.  Sin is the same.  We collect it to our own peril, even if that peril seems distant and disconnected.  The exercise of authentic humility represents a reminder that accepting sin is not the only option.  If it is not the only option, it may not be the best option.  The sinner who looks on the three superfluous fingers of the pointing hand of humility may interpret them as an accusation.  He may not take comfort in the idea that the pointer is a hypocrite, because he already points at himself.