Humility: Good Thing / Bad thing?

[Bathsheba]

Humility is the act of feeling or being humble. It's really interesting to me how so many issues, especially those of conflict, seem to get down to the same fundamental issue: people's pride. I'm just as guilty as anyone.... but I do see it as a positive thing: humility is good for me. It teaches me so much. It also is a comfort. For example: When I feel like I am at a total loss with how to deal with my kids... when I feel that nothing is working it's humility that reminds me that "you don't HAVE to have all the answers... you are learning too just like your kids are... you don't have to feel like crap when you think you are being a bad mother... just accept that this is how it is... you can learn from this... isn't it interesting how angry I feel... why is that?" should I acknowledge it when pride creeps in: "Am I angry because I feel that I am the most important person in this equation? I am the one to be obeyed because I am the parent... I am above my child... I should have the power. Am I upset because my children are ignoring my superiority? How dare they given all I do for them! (this is pride speaking)"

What is the alternative? Would a better reminder to myself be: "I am my child's equal in life. It's my job to care for and guide the vulnerable people around me no matter what their age. Parenting with overblown pride will just set up a battle dynamic which will be counter-productive".

Feeling humility and causing humiliation is not the same thing. Humiliating somebody is (I think) a bad thing. It's a denial of their humanity. If maintaining your boundaries though, for example, causes embarrassment to another then that's a different thing. eg: "I'm sorry, I was waiting to be served next" might embarrass somebody if they were trying to push in but that's a consequence of not being observant and up to them to process and be graceful about.

So, I was just wondering about what role other people think humility and feeling humble plays in their life. Is it something worth teaching our children? Is the message they are getting through the media a healthy one? Think about MTV music clips of celebrities strutting around with "attitude" and puffed up portrayal of (I think misguided) pride. Or is it something unproductive... something that just stops us feeling good about ourselves and an enemy of self esteem?