By Jim Studer
I recently wrote about capacities. The capacities of humility and arrogance are the antithesis of each other. They might well be considered capacities. Webster’s defines humility as humbleness of spirit, freedom from pride. Arrogance is defined as proud and offensive haughtiness. I find the word humility is often mislabeled as the lack of self-confidence. Arrogance is often thought of as confidence. Today, humility seems to be a rare capacity.
Years ago, Charles Barkley of basketball and sports media fame stated that he was not a role model and never pretended to be one. Charles’ knowledge of basketball may be at the Mensa level; however, his knowledge of role models fails to make the grade. We are all role models. Children watch those around them and choose as models those who represent what they wish to become. They do not ask for a role model’s credentials or if they have a license to be one.
The role models for many youngsters are professional athletes, Hollywood personalities, pop music celebrities, industrial and political moguls and even gangsters. Youngsters and adults alike often view the behavior of these people as a license to justify their own behavior.
If I was a parent in today’s modern media educated age, I’d question if I would want my children to watch professional sports, especially football. I wonder if I would even want them to watch today’s TV news, comedy and drama. Too often the miscreants viewed here become heroes, role models. The Kardashians, the Gottis, popular rappers and others seem to be the teachers of our youth. Arrogance has replaced the word self-confidence. Fifty some-years of working with teenagers has demonstrated to me that all too often arrogance is a cover up for a lack of self-confidence. It reflects the behavior of crowing, strutting, Bantam Roosters making raucous noises, displaying puffed out chests while kicking up no more than dust.
I see this type of behavior demonstrated on TV shows that seem to have been designed to portray anything but arrogance. Jeopardy, one of my favorite TV shows, in the last few dozen years has a string of consecutive champions who demonstrate a wide range of arrogance and who in spite of their depth and range of knowledge are unable to be humble. Success seems to be a license to show off. I am thankful for a recent 15 game Jeopardy winner, Adriana Harmeyer, who after winning well over three hundred thousand dollars looked and spoke with a humility rarely seen today. The winningest Jeopardy champion, Ken Jennings, 20 years ago, was also a humble champion.