I'm so humbled by this honor
Why do people say they are "humbled" when they receive some kind of honor? Is it because they don't want people to know that their inner dialog is all "check me out!"? Or is it because they doubt their ability to live up to the honor? And if the honor is a new job (Supreme Court appointment, for example), does this instill faith in the constituents? What message are they trying to send?
I guess I've always found that word choice to be a little weird. "I'm honored" would be cool with me.
Comments
Anonymous
October 03, 2005
"I'm so honored by this honor"?Anonymous
October 03, 2005
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October 04, 2005
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October 04, 2005
Paul-the college football fan n me would have kind of liked the chanting.
Paul and Kayvaan, I guess the part I am not seeing is the cause and effect. If someone is humbled BY the honor, what is it about being honored that makes them more humble than they were before?
By the way, you guys are wordsmiths. Awesome!Anonymous
October 04, 2005
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October 04, 2005
Paul-I saw that in the news today. I guess that's what you call a wash? ; )
Coincidence? Yes. Balance? Coincidence ; )
(see who is the wordsmith now? whee!)Anonymous
October 04, 2005
Oh, and my team is Southern Cal (which is fun to say now after all the "bad years")!Anonymous
October 04, 2005
I'm a Berkeley alum myself. So I guess we'll see who's humbled on 11/12? ;)Anonymous
October 05, 2005
Yes, we sure will!Anonymous
October 07, 2005
Could it be federal judicial nominees use the word humble because they know in the position to which they may ascend, they will be attempting to interpret the words of framers the US Constitution? Now there's a group in the midst of which most would be humbled!Anonymous
October 07, 2005
Mom, maybe if they are comparing themselves to Thomas Jefferson, etc. (which isn't really necessary since the SCJ role in not as author but as interpreter), but I get your point. How come everyone else is using the phrase too?Anonymous
May 30, 2008
PingBack from http://flavie.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/hilversum-bound-and-im-not-humbled/Anonymous
August 04, 2008
I completely agree with kayvaan about honored being bestowed upon a person therefore saying "I am honored" is just stating the obvious..we already knew that the person is honored. Very true. It seems to me that we REEEAAAALLLY need to update the definition of 'humbled' in the dictionary don't we? When people say they are humbled what they actually mean is: I am very grateful for this honor (someone has recognized me) and I would like to accept that recognition very thankfully without arrogance. Thats what they mean. However.... if you look at the actual definition of humbled it just doesn't really seem to add up to that does it? Humbled as a verb means a) to lower in condition, importance b) to destroy the independence, power, or will of. c) to make meek d) to be overly submissive or compliant That is every definition according to dictionary.com. So how that fits in to "I am humbled" is beyond me. Heres how it would translate. I am "lowered in condition" by this? I am ""destroying the will of something" by this? I am now compliant (I'm a robot) I am submissive now ( I give up) ???? Im lost. :)Anonymous
October 19, 2010
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February 07, 2011
One of Matt's definitions is submissive. The word, when used as a verb, can mean submissive or obedient, so when person says that they are "humbled and honored" it means that they are in a state of submissiveness or obedience to the will of the group that is honoring them. Similar to how the word is used as a verb in Philippians 2:8 "And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."