Leading With Humility
I know the following is a long quote from G. K. Chesterton’s Autobiography, but I hope you will read it because it is profound. Here it goes:
“Anyhow, it is true that both the happy hedonists and the unhappy pessimists were stiffened by the opposite principle of pride. The pessimist was proud of pessimism, because he thought nothing good enough for him; the optimist was proud of optimism, because he thought nothing was bad enough to prevent him from getting good out of it. There were valuable men of both these types; there were men with many virtues; but they not only did not possess the virtue I was thinking of, but they never thought of it. They would decide that life was no good, or that it had a great deal of good; but they were not in touch with this particular notion, of having a great deal of gratitude even for a very little good. And as I began to believe more and more that the clue was to be found in such a principle, even if it was a paradox, I was more and more disposed to seek out those who specialised in humility, though for them it was the door of heaven and for me the door of earth” (p. 346).
Did you catch that humility was the door of heaven and the door of earth to Chesterton? I love this paradox and believe the virtue of the paradox is both!
Chesterton was reflecting on a deep appreciation for humility and the recognition of its true value. When he says he was “more and more disposed to seek out those who specialised in humility,” he suggested that he admired people who practiced humility, perhaps seeing it as a virtue that opens the door to higher understanding or spiritual fulfillment (“the door of heaven”).
At the same time, he contrasted this with his own perspective—“for me the door of earth”—implying that, for himself, humility is more grounded, humble, and connected to the real, tangible experiences of everyday life (“earth”). Essentially, Chesterton was acknowledging that humility is a universal virtue—one that can lead to spiritual heights—but also recognizing his personal connection to it as something rooted in the practical and the earthly realm. That’s what I have come to love about Chesterton – he was able to combine the practical of everyday life with the spiritual. Let’s face it; that is what we all have to do every day.
In sum, the quote highlights the difference between aspiring towards spiritual ideals and maintaining a humble, grounded view of oneself in everyday life. A really great leadership lesson!
Byron's Babbles 
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