Idiotopedia: Humiliate Me!

In the early year of 2023, I want to reflect on my manner and attitude as an entrepreneur (wannabe) since someone gives me a stamp that I don't have a spirit of corporate development exposure (re. building startups) and need to be more mature in investing. Maybe yes, but maybe not; only others can judge my activities. Being an entrepreneur can be hard to break away from the hustle of launching a new business. It's also hard to think about what it's all about regarding success. However, humility can help me maintain my focus on the business and build stronger relationships with the investors and my team.

Wise people said that humility helps people recognize their strengths, avoid being overconfident, and focus more on the lessons they've learned from their errors. If the startup ecosystem tickles me, it allows entrepreneurs to be more open-minded while dealing with others. It's hard, but fighting our ego is not an easy battle. Again, by being humble, people can improve their communication and better understand the organization. It can also help avoid conflicts of interest since no hidden agendas or power plays exist. Humility is vital to being a good team member, as it lets everyone know they have worth beyond their expectations. It can help them work more efficiently and effectively, and it can also improve the culture of the company. Having this habit can be very beneficial for our company as it allows us to improve the efficiency of our operations. Hopefully!

Many great founders are fearless in admitting they have difficulty knowing what to do next. I recently met the founder of a startup, whom I'll refer to as my disciples, and he was incredibly inspired by what I had known (somehow, I didn't realize that I thought the ideas intentionally). Though I had no idea what he was doing now, he didn't want to put on a facade about his business' growth. He was genuinely honest about how he felt about his lack of knowledge about what to do next. He is not a first-time entrepreneur, but he's already experienced some failures and successes in the past. He's working on something compelling in the waste management domain, and his sense of self-awareness helped him feel successful. During our conversation, I realized how he could remain self-aware despite his scarcity of financial knowledge. But he was able to do this because of his humility.

After talking to him, I thought about the importance of humility in founders. Then, I came up with several practical reasons why this skill is needed; again, these are only my observations and are not intended to give inadequate recommendations for anyone or any organization's movement.

• We must stay focused on building an excellent product for our customers. It's easy to start delegating tasks such as customer support, but it's also important to maintain humility and not be afraid to get our hands dirty. Doing so will allow us and our team to learn more about our customers and improve their experience.
• Our team must follow us into battle, and the founder must be an effective leader who can inspire and motivate them. An effective leader should be someone whom we respect and who can lead by example. They must also recognize that they can only win with their team. Having humility allows the founder to acknowledge that their team's value exceeds that of themselves.
• We want a contagious culture of humility within our startup. The founders' responsibility is to build a company culture that encourages the behavior they want their employees to exhibit. A humble attitude can help inspire their team members and make them feel more confident in their leadership.
• The difference between realism and optimism is that while it is important to remain optimistic about the company's future, it is also crucial to avoid being caught off-guard by the competition. Being humble helps keep us focused on the positive and prevents us from getting carried away by the negative.
• Again, being humble is a vital component of any entrepreneur's armor against sensationalism. It will help him, or her focus on building a successful business instead of letting the noise around them get in the way.
• Well, our goal is to create a creativity machine that will allow us to innovate without worrying about being criticized for failure. This can be achieved by being open-minded and accepting feedback.
• We want to get all the help that we can get. Although we don't have the answers to every question, there are people within our network and team willing and capable of helping us. In a startup environment, humility is essential to have the confidence to ask for assistance.
• We have dealt with the stress and pressure of life, and we're now on a high, despite knowing that it can only last so long. Because of this, we're considered Superman or Superwoman, and we're not afraid to face our fears. Being humble allows us to fight our egos and accept who we are.

This simple writing was made possible by engaging with my friend and colleagues, who shared their thoughts on being humble. And honestly, it hit me so well that I am still learning to improve myself.

Being humble is regarded as a virtue and requires a modest approach to one's worth. Although humility isn't viewed as a leadership quality, it is widely acknowledged as one of the most important qualities of all great leaders. Humility isn't the same as self-defeating or poor self-image behavior. Some examples of false humility include insecure timidity, low confidence, and anxious self-regard. These qualities can prevent an individual from focusing on the good in the world around them.

On the other hand, being humble allows leaders to contribute to the welfare of their constituents at a higher level. Again, humility is about honoring the larger vision we are working toward. It allows us to see that other forces at work can affect the world around us.

Theoretically, humility requires a deep knowledge of the big picture, and a service orientation focused on society's good instead of personal gain. And being humble helps us maintain a tranquil state of mind and allows us to make decisions confidently. Of course, there are times when people need to make decisions fast, but with humility, we can learn and adapt to new situations. We can also accept that there will be moments of friction, but we should stay calm and treat each other with dignity and respect.

According to one of my mentors, Antonius Alexander, the more people believe there is no risk in business, the more vulnerable a company becomes. While several years ago, I read a book written by Noam Wasserman(1), and he mentioned that the primary motivation behind people's actions is to be rich versus king or to control everything. He claims that people lose control over their decisions by opening their minds to others. But they also build better businesses by investing in their capabilities and experiences.?

Based on my startup experiences, the goal of profit is to create abundance and faith, while the control motive is constriction and containment. When it comes to leadership, being able to give up on our control and move toward a better world is a must.?The best leaders are those who are willing to learn. Being humble is best when working together as a team. When creating a greater vision, the entire organization must have alignment and move toward that goal. To be effective, we need to hire people committed to developing active humility. Humility is a way of behaving that indicates that we are not very important or better than others. All of us start at the same point in our lives. While we may have more money and a better house, cars and motorbikes don't seem to care.

I am not starting to be wise or philosophical, but things have changed. We hear a voice telling us that we need to earn more, get more, share more, be right more, and consume more. Being humble is a lost cause when one puts their ego first. It becomes impossible to accept humility when one has their ego in control. Most people talk about experiencing humiliation, a feeling they can't escape. The difference between being humble and being humiliated is that the latter is something that we feel.

Let me share a story; a couple of years ago, I had a chance to build one of the interesting fund projects for the environment. And one of my friends asked me to join his boat; instead, I am doing everything alone. And the way he was recreating was a sure thing, convincing people that he was well-connected with many sources. And then the unspeakable things happened. He created drama among his internal management, and some of his initiatives landed in the water. No big deal. He said he could drop, get up and down, and save the boat. But, instead, he put his next shot in the bigger bet. Shocking doesn't begin to describe the situation. Ultimately, he shares his promises with my other friends and me. He is still on his journey and assassinates whoever is not in his boat. And there is no question that I felt humiliated after sharing all my ideas and being ghosted. Experiences like this remind me to be humble. They are nature's way of keeping me in check. But humiliation does not make me humble. Fast forward to the story, I showed him I wasn't better or more important than anyone at that moment.?

Do you think that is humbleness? On the contrary, as I have noted earlier, humility is important, as it can transform a person's life. There are a few examples that show how it can do so:

• Over time, our knowledge will increase. But unfortunately, our ego will continue to build up and try to convince us that we already have all the answers. This can prevent us from learning. One way to stop this is by becoming empty. This will help us focus on what we must be aware of.
• I imagine that people would love to hang out with my friend, who was trying to convince me earlier because of his personality and how he acts. Relationships are all about people, not necessarily who they are. If I was to ask myself, who would I rather be with, an egomaniac or someone who puts my needs first? What is the answer?
• Having great people around us can help us achieve our goals. Teamwork involves coming together to achieve a common objective, but more is needed to have a group. The team's success is determined by how they feel toward one another.
• There are many things in life that we need to take breaks from. One of these is an achievement. It can be a job opportunity, a mentor, or a deal that we were able to close due to a timely introduction. However, it is only sometimes that the help we get comes from the things we do. Being humble is important to ensure that the support we receive comes from the right people.

Well, be straightforward; again, humility is one of the most important lessons we can learn from our physical journey. Without this, power can become corrupt. Analogically, according to the Spiderman dialogue, great power comes with great responsibility. Without humility, we can't be genuinely responsible for our actions. The power of life energy is due to its ability to create. It can manifest both good and bad things through thought. Although we may not fully understand our power of creation and life energy from our physical perspective, it doesn't mean we can't recognize it in our non-physical realm. This is because, through our physical journey, we will learn the importance of humility to avoid getting imbalanced.

As I become more aware of my true nature, I become aware of how emphatic I am (LOL). For instance, I may feel free and unstoppable as I become more comfortable with my knowledge. But unfortunately, this power can also lead to increased arrogance and coldness. In my personal experience, I've seen this happen to me as much as anyone else. I've been incredibly focused on being arrogant since I was young. Learning to be humble has been challenging, as it feels like a reflection of my genetics. Life does not stop teaching my lessons until I know them, which is why some teachings refer to "fierce grace." Eventually, I can stop allowing the inner transformation to be called for, and that's when I need a strong lesson.

Anyway, there's a good chance that we're being taught humility due to being beaten down by life. This can lead to people developing a warrior mentality that fights back against their anger and hate. Unfortunately, this is not helping us learn this lesson, and we will continue our struggles. It's important to remember that power is both dark and light, and arrogance signifies imbalance. Without humility, we will take ourselves into a state of imbalance, similar to what some influential individuals have experienced.

OK, let me dive a bit into personal belief; people tend to misinterpret the teachings of humility in various religions as a calling for "meekness." This is not the case; humility is a balance of power. It's a mindset that teaches people to avoid becoming arrogant. A priest does not give their core teachings until they have seen how they can gain a deeper understanding of humility. To do so, they are usually made to perform mundane chores to maintain the monastery. The reason is that when a person comes to "truth," there is a certain freedom that they can feel, which can be taken away from them if they don't have humility.

In closing of this (trying to be) "wise" article, accepting humility can be difficult for people with an innate tendency to be arrogant. This feeling of inadequacy and failure can often make them feel like they have lost their identity. Humility is a vital part of life; we must learn how to live with it. Our mind believes arrogance is beneficial and can keep us from feeling like a failure. It can also make us feel like we have a powerful advantage over everyone else. Having a deeper understanding of life can help us feel more comfortable in ourselves, and it can help us avoid feeling like we have a hidden advantage.?

Again, I am not trying to be a scientist or master in everything, but it can be hard to let go of humility, as it feels like a backward step or a regression. We only have to accept the lessons that will teach us humility until we can learn it. It's not like we can expect life to give us a break. Sometimes, what feels like an accomplishment or a feeling of joy can be used to teach humility. If we allow our intended growth to continue, we won't have to learn the same lessons again. However, most of us still need to be more hard-headed to learn the lessons we need to improve ourselves. The lessons we will remember are the most important things. For instance, if a relationship matters to me, my lessons will be related to my experiences. Thus, if our main passion is in our career, then our lessons will be from that field. It's the perfect time to let go of our arrogance and accept the feeling of helplessness, as it will allow us to use the energy that comes from it instead of fighting it with a stand-off. It can take a while before this feeling of humility fully enters our body, especially if we resist it.?

Finally, being humble is the best thing we can do for ourselves because it can help us get everything we want. A humble attitude can help us get everything we want and speed up life's process. However, be careful of the ego because it can prevent us from achieving success. Anyway, my objective in this article is to capture as many lessons as possible from friends that can improve my life as an entrepreneur. So, enjoy the journey - stay happy, healthy, and sane!

Carpediem!

Note: (1) Ref to. The Founder's Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup - By?Noam Wasserman https://www.google.co.id/books/edition/The_Founder_s_Dilemmas/iosazgEACAAJ?hl=en