Enjoy the Walk

Walking on Path in Spring
by Ma Yuan (c.1190 - 1279)

From repeating patterns follow well-worn paths.

The word humility comes from the Latin humilitas which is a noun related to the adjective humilus.

Humilus translates to "grounded" or "from the earth" since it, in turn, derives from humus meaning:

the earth beneath us.

A grounded person is considered sensible or down-to-earth. One who is down-to-earth is considered practical and realistic.

Down-to-earth implies stable footing which is contrasted with the notion of having a head in the clouds which implies instability.

Considering the known universe gives us a dose of perspective. We wonder is the universe finite? Or as cosmologists suggest, are there an infinite or finite set of universes called the multiverse?

Acknowledging how little we know inspires and humbles.

"Who is more humble? The scientist who looks at the universe with an open mind and accepts whatever the universe has to teach us, or somebody who says everything in this book must be considered the literal truth and never mind the fallibility of all the human beings involved?" ― Carl Sagan

I find when I acknowledge the miracle of chance and I begin to comprehend my insignificance, what follows is awe, appreciation, and humility.

"Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." ― Mark Twain

Walking on-path or off-path might have different consequences, but one eventually leads to the other.

You are practically nothing. Enjoy the walk.


REFERENCES

• Maintaining Ontological Humility When Doing Research, by Marilyn K. Simon and Jim Goes