It Helps to Be Humble

At the end of each semester, I require my writing students to evaluate in essay-form both themselves and my class. In evaluating themselves, they consider such criteria as their attendance, their grades, their participation and the new knowledge they’ve learned that semester. In critiquing the class, they judge the quality of the day-to-day life in English 11011. Did they like the textbooks? Did they appreciate the workshop format? Did they enjoy and learn from the assignments? In doing this, I’ve been called many things by my students. This semester one student called me a “brilliant professor.” Another called me “atrocious.” But the judgement that stood out this time was “humble.” One student said I was “very humble.” I had no idea I was projecting humility, but in hindsight, if I am modest, I know why. Living with bipolar illness since 1991 made me humble. Before I came down with manic depression, I used to shout my accomplishments to anyone would listen and to some who wouldn’t. I was vain because I still had my looks. (Psychotropic meds hadn’t wreaked havoc on my body, and I was still 120 pounds.) I didn’t have much time for the marginalized or the disenfranchised. I was young, beautiful, successful, and going places. My goodness, I was a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop! Then, in 1991, things changed. Spending two weeks in a psychiatric ward would knock anybody off her lofty tower. I’ve been hospitalized for my mental health issue onl...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Bipolar Creativity Grief and Loss Personal Stigma Cancer Diagnosis Cancer Treatment Coping Skills Ego humble Humility Kindness Teaching Source Type: blogs