Modesty is the Ultimate Defence

[teggie]

MODESTY: Use it wisely.

When and why? Modesty, it seems the most crucial factor for the reparations this world needs. Modesty isn't just shrugging off compliments, or gesturing flirtatiously at what may constitute for a 'less attractive' individual. Modesty is being able to pinpoint crucial moments at which a situation can only be resolved with the admittance of humbleness. To be able to accept defeat, at fault or not, in order to secure a righteous victory may be a key ingredient for what the world needs. This victory is the most precious quality in ensuring an equal purity of realization, for this victory is not sought over your enemies. This is a triumph for your rivals, and as they wake over your humbleness, a revelation of conceit overwhelms their judgement. Slowly, but always, does your subject of humbleness realize the error of their reasoning. It is as if the absence of a contradicting mindset, or rather a mindset that concedes to another's own ideals, provides a state of clarity that helps to understand both perspectives of a withstanding quarrel. When working with modesty, you are not looking for personal victory over your adversary. Instead, you must intend to grant the seed of knowledge inside their mind. By doing so, unknowingly of this foe, does the seed grow into a tree of understanding. Your adversary does not only gain the knowledge to befit the acceptance of your ideals, but you may have impacted this asset's mindset to the point where they realize and forego future reparations of misjudgment.

[MANICHAEAN]

Try telling that to Putin.

[Emil Miller]

Try telling that to Putin.


Or John Kerry and William Hague, there are two sides to every story.

[Iain Sparrow]

Or John Kerry and William Hague, there are two sides to every story.



There are two sides to every story, then there is the truth.:)

[Emil Miller]

Agreed but there's no point in rattling sabres if that's all you can do.

[MANICHAEAN]

Upon which point, I agree entirely.
England went to war over Poland and when the dust had settled, the latter experienced their own Dark Age under the Soviets, an experience many of a younger generation in Eastern Europe states have no wish to re-experience. NATO needs to step up to the plate, because Obama never will.

[JHG]

Respectfully disagree. Modesty only works if all parties involved try to be modest. When given one aggressive party and one modest party, the aggresive party will have the advantage if the modest party insists on modesty. The aggressive party will not realize any error, but be satisfied in their conquest, as the stronger over the weaker.

[teggie]

Reply to JHG

Try not to subdue my reasoning with the simplicity of applying it to a situation that entails aggression vs modesty. Instead, undersand that modesty is not used to represent a party, but rather is a tool for the party to lay a ground that makes it possible for said party to submit yet stay equally opposing. Like I stated in the article, only certain moments in certain situations may call for such means, and it is that party's responsibility to be aware of when to use it. Modesty is almost like the opposite of pride, in which being prideful might just put you in a worse situation than expected. A good example for this may be: America may lose more troops continuing a battle for the possession of land that is currently at a stalemate than they would if they withdrew their troops and gave the land to their enemies. However, this land is only being fought over to invoke which faction is more powerful. Basically, giving this land to their enemies would mean that America is telling their enemy they are more powerful than America because of withdrawing. Even though America may actually be more powerful than that faction, by simply giving the admission of defeat to their enemy, they managed to keep troops from dying by the unnessecary display of power. These troops make it possible to provide defence or offense in future, and more important, altercations. The enemy may not realize it in their triumph, but it will become apparent with future battles that may ensue.

Modesty is not just a tool for war or power. It can be used from simple debates with your friend to a peace treaty that brings the end to a civil war and applies to everything in between.

[Whosis]

I don't know, what about flattery and insincerity? They'll get you far until you can't budge it anymore.

[Hwo Thumb]

Sarcastic self-depreciation or very sarcastic hubris are forms of modesty that I've found the easiest and cheapest way of escaping criticism. :)

(It's also a lovely tool for attention whoring without anyone realizing you're being apophasistic... apopho... crap, what's the adjective form of apophasis? "Oh, you wouldn't want to read my story, it's not very good.")

^I even kinda did it there by calling myself out on attention whoring and cheating my way out of criticism.