EPJ #1: Humility is the Foundation for Beauty

I saw the devil’s snares all over the earth, and I groaned and said, “What can pass through them?”, I heard a voice saying, “Humility”.

St. Anthony the Great

What is EPJ? (you can skip this part if you already know what this series is about)

EPJ stands for Everyday Pilgrim Journal. If you’re new to this series, check out the first entry I wrote here. In short, I am here to explore the beauty inherent in everyday life, to understand the recurring theme of beauty through seeming foolishness. This is a theme exemplified by Christ, a “foolish” carpenter who claimed divinity and then faced brutal execution by crucifixion. Yet his followers insisted they witnessed his resurrection, and his influence remains too massive to ignore even until today.

This paradox of Christ, that he is considered the “ultimate beauty” and the “ultimate fool” is what many great people over the centuries have grappled with. Even as the modern world tries to silence or diminish this wonderful figure, I am compelled to show that it is impossible to do so. I want to look at the details of everyday life through the perspective of humility. This way I can uncover glimpses of the intuitive, mysterious beauty that Christ’s life and legacy continue to inspire.

I mentioned in previous post that humility allows beauty to gradually reveal itself. This concept, exemplified in Christ’s incarnation as a humble carpenter who became glorified throughout history, isn’t exclusively religious. It’s a universal principle that applies to all aspects of life. As Steve Jobs said, “Stay hungry, stay foolish.”

Physical growth also demonstrates this paradox: muscles become stronger only when stressed and broken down through exercise. Similarly, personal growth requires acknowledging our limitations. There’s no room for improvement when we feel sufficient.

True humility also shields us from criticism. When we’re genuinely humble, insults lose their power. We can respond to valid criticism by acknowledging mistakes and improving, while baseless criticism doesn’t affect us because we’re not seeking praise. This is the narrow path to beauty – through authentic humility.

Humility fuels continuous growth by maintaining our hunger for improvement. I’ve experienced this firsthand – my identity as “the smart guy” significantly hindered my progress. My arrogance manifested in mediocre performance across college, sports, and artistic pursuits. I often left projects unfinished, hiding behind perfectionism, which I now recognize as pride. I deemed myself too important to produce merely “decent” work.

This arrogance poisoned many aspects of my life. I couldn’t enjoy simple meals because I thought I deserved only fine dining. I skipped learning fundamentals, believing I was above them. I missed experiencing nature’s beauty because I was too proud to get my shoes dirty. Worst of all, I dismissed countless opportunities to learn from others, considering them beneath me. I judged people harshly for their sins while viewing myself as a saint.

Now, as I embrace humility, I feel deep lamentation for my past sins and for hurting others. To those I’ve hurt, I hope for the opportunity to seek their forgiveness in person. Yet paradoxically, this acknowledgment of my failures has brought unexpected joy through genuine repentance and growth. This is what Christ had spoken of. These are the examples:

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Those are just a few, there are many other examples of Christ’s teachings that shows (extreme) humility.

As I continue this journey, I know the path won’t be easy. I’ll write my ongoing struggles and insights about humility through future journal entries, sharing both my failures and discoveries. Through this practice of humility, I hope to experience beauty in its truest form.