Last week David Brooks wrote about depravity and humility. I think he’s right. In my book about my 100 Thing Challenge, I ended by suggesting that humility is the one virtue most needed in our times. In the new book I’m working on right now, a reflection on humility comes at the beginning.

By the way, you do know that there’s nothing wrong with knowing that you are humble? Humble people throughout history have pointed out their humility, not the least of which was Jesus. The point is that it is silly middle-school logic to suggest that by saying that you are trying to be humble you automatically disqualify yourself from the virtue of humility.

Why? How come it’s so important for folks to be humble these days? Well obviously it’s always been important. Yet I think it is especially relevant for our times because of temptation to believe we are more than we are. We’re tempted by the availability of stuff and credit to buy stuff. And television and bad philosophy and scientific conclusions that overstep their scientific bounds and more, all conspire to help us believe that we can be what we are not if we’ll only go to the mall or go online and use our credit cards to buy the stuff that will make us . . . ultimately, that will make us unhumble. Stuff that will exalt us so that we soar to heights where the wax holding our wings together will melt and send us back down to reality to meet our emotional and financial creditors. Why not just be humble in the first place? Be realistic about ourselves? Not trust in stuff to make us what we are not? The discipline of simplicity helps.