Aspiring to be humble?
During a September rally for the Republican presidential candidate, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders shared that her children keep her humble.
There’s a lot here. The mispronunciation. The pivot from charming anecdote to attack, with a corresponding pivot in demeanor (reminiscent of Senator Katie Britt’s State of the Union response). The cluelessness of this particular dig at a stepmother who, by all accounts, is an engaged, loving, committed parent. The callousness of using your voice as a young woman who has ascended to this level of political leadership to make other women feel inadequate—the price of supporting Donald Trump.
Because there’s a lot here, it made sense to me that Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy asked Vice President Harris about it this week.
I watch this moment over and over, fixated on “not all women aspire to be humble.” I watch and wonder: How workshopped was that line? Did she anticipate the question here or just have it ready for the question when it came? Did she know it would launch a thousand t-shirts, stickers, and hoodies? What does someone operating at this level understand about the impact of these words, spoken on a podcast for young women, in the midst of the “gender war election?”
“Not all women aspire to be humble” broke my brain a little. Simultaneously, I felt the truth of it—about her, about “not all women,” about me—and the contradiction with my values. Humility is the measuring stick I’ve settled on for myself. I’ve spent my adult life working my way out of addiction to affirmation, good grades, praise, and being needed. I’ve tried to move toward humility: I neither have nor need all the answers. I’m not good at everything, and that’s fine. I’m not responsible for everything, and that’s healthy. I’ve changed my mind, and that’s growth. I’m sorry for my mistakes, and that’s redemptive. Humility is my constant stretch goal.
So, am I aspiring to be humble or not?
Etymology is a messy venture, but it helps answer the question. “Humility” has roots in the French umelite (modesty, sweetness), the Latin humilitatum (lowness, small stature; insignificance, littleness of mind). Modesty? Littleness of mind? In this respect, no, I do not aspire to be humble. For what it’s worth, I don’t think Arkansas’s first woman governor and the youngest sitting governor in the US aspires to be humble, either.
The etymologists didn’t stop with the French and Latin. Going back to the Proto-Indo-European root of humility, they find *dhghem, which means “earth.” It shows up in the Sanskrit ksam- (earth, as opposed to sky), the Greek khthōn (the solid surface of the earth); the Latin humus (earth, soil), and more.
Humility as earth is what I’m looking for: feet on the soil, grounded, present, tactile, practical, vulnerable, resilient, adaptable, temporary. That’s the aspiration for me.
The one thing we want you to know this week…
We are thrilled to announce a joint live show this November with one of our favorites, Vanessa Zoltan of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text! Join us in Boston - or via live stream - for a fun night among friends.
🗓Date: Thursday, November 7
📍Location: Old South Church, Boston
⏰Time: 8:00-9:30 PM ET (Doors open at 7:30 PM)
Yes, that’s two days after the election. We think it will be the perfect time to come together and join the unique blend of insightful political commentary from Pantsuit Politics with the deep, reflective lens of Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. No matter the outcome of the election, it's bound to be a fun and meaningful night with lots of laughter and community spirit.
🎟 Grab your tickets now—this is a night you won’t want to miss!
P.S. If you are a Pantsuit Politics Premium member, we sent a code for $5 off your ticket!
The one thing we made this week we can’t stop thinking about…
Beth took some time this week to talk through misinformation and disinformation around Hurricane Relief efforts and FEMA. The Spice Cabinet (our premium community) said it was so helpful that we made it available for free to everyone.
A Different Approach to the Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Copyright (C) 2024 Pantsuit Politics. All rights reserved.
Couldn't love this whole post more! Such a thoughtful look at these views! VP (near future P) Harris' comment also broke my brain, but in a shake me awake from a slumber kind of way. I love how you wrapped it up with the etymology of the word humble as earth and grounding. I'm going to keep that one with me, along with Harris' comment, which to me meant that we, as women, should not need to make ourselves small. That our voices can and should be heard and respected, and doing that from a place of humble groundedness feels right.
Beth, I love this piece and felt every bit. The final description of humility is exactly right from my perspective. Thanks for sharing!