I agree the conversation should be more nuanced, especially for women. Last week, I won Teacher of the Year at work, which is a HUGE accomplishment in public education. I’m damn proud of it! I deserve it! Yes, I posted about it on my social media!
And also: to my kids, they were more excited about a surprise visit from my mom/their grandma, a dinner out on a weeknight, and I still carried an over-tired 5yo old kicking and screaming to bed that night. I guess that’s what Ms. Sanders meant by “kids humble you” as in, they don’t think you’re anything flashy besides “Mom.” But I also understand Ms. Harris’ defense of her family and accomplishments.
I’m humble about how hard I’ve worked. I want my daughters to SEE it. But also, I’m their mother, and that comes first for them, and that’s not flashy or worthy of praise. It’s just the WORK of raising good humans. Sometimes the work deserves recognition, and sometimes it’s just WORK.
Harris is running to be the first female President, against a toxic misogynist. She was being called out by another woman politician about her status as a mother. The word humble was used as a weapon. And to suggest that a woman's humility should come from her children (who take her for granted? are rude and ungrateful?) Gross. We women contain multitudes. Do I want Madame Vice President Harris to be aspiring to be humble (specifically the type of suffering mother humble described by Huckabee) at this phase of her life? No, I do not.
I grew up with this succinct admonishment from my mother, “Pride goeth before the fall.” Some days those words imbedded in my psyche holds my desire for
Humility intact. Some day reminds of my foolishness of thinking too highly of myself.
These words are really wrapped up in church speak for me and my brain is busy parsing other things, so I'll just say that when I read this quote, I simultaneously processed it as an insult of "uppity" (racist) and "childless" (sexist).
It seems we are all contemplating the meaning of “humble” when used as an adjective. When I heard the words of Sarah Huckabee Sanders I immediately thought of the verb humble, as in “to destroy the power, independence, or prestige of” (per Merriam-Webster). In that case, I agree that Kamala Harris has not let her power be destroyed by anyone. And good on her!
I am not a well spoken person, so I have a hard time putting words to what I have to say. But sometimes the road to humility is taking the path down humiliation. The root of both of these words is not lost on me.
I’ve been a member of the Spice Cabinet for a couple years and I listen to and watch everything! Thank you for the Move In Special discount as I transferred from Patreon. This helps me continue to support PP for years to come. ❤️❤️
To me, being humble means acknowledging that what you have accomplished is not all you. That you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. It doesn’t mean that you downplay your ability or accomplishments, but that you understand and express that didn’t get there alone.
My four cents is that it was a shitty dig on Huckabee Sanders part. It was a shitty, graceless , un-Christian-like comment, meant to put down another woman, another human, with a goal of inciting condemnation from her audience. Where's the humility in that? If she were truly humble in the face of her maker, she would never have said that. The comment reveals her as the ruthless politician that she is.
Also, there is a time and a place for humility. As a young, female engineer who was taught to be humble, I did not boast about my accomplishments at work, and you know what happened? The men around me took credit for my work. They boasted and bragged about these things that "they" did. And you know what else happened? They got a raise and a promotion. I got a developing review because I "didn't do anything." I'm so tired of this idea that women should not take credit for their work. Do I think we should be obnoxious about it? Absolutely not. But now at work, I proudly say,"I accomplished this." "This change was my work." "I am excellent at my job."
Humility and humble strike me somewhat differently *and* I think we as white women also need to see the history and racism of a white SHS saying a Black woman aspiring to be president should be “humble.” Are we asking if DJT is humble? Pres Obama? Bush? Clinton?
My quick $0.02 before the 4th graders come back from music.
I agree the conversation should be more nuanced, especially for women. Last week, I won Teacher of the Year at work, which is a HUGE accomplishment in public education. I’m damn proud of it! I deserve it! Yes, I posted about it on my social media!
And also: to my kids, they were more excited about a surprise visit from my mom/their grandma, a dinner out on a weeknight, and I still carried an over-tired 5yo old kicking and screaming to bed that night. I guess that’s what Ms. Sanders meant by “kids humble you” as in, they don’t think you’re anything flashy besides “Mom.” But I also understand Ms. Harris’ defense of her family and accomplishments.
I’m humble about how hard I’ve worked. I want my daughters to SEE it. But also, I’m their mother, and that comes first for them, and that’s not flashy or worthy of praise. It’s just the WORK of raising good humans. Sometimes the work deserves recognition, and sometimes it’s just WORK.
*not humble about how hard I’ve worked… still looking for the edit button on Substack! 😅
Harris is running to be the first female President, against a toxic misogynist. She was being called out by another woman politician about her status as a mother. The word humble was used as a weapon. And to suggest that a woman's humility should come from her children (who take her for granted? are rude and ungrateful?) Gross. We women contain multitudes. Do I want Madame Vice President Harris to be aspiring to be humble (specifically the type of suffering mother humble described by Huckabee) at this phase of her life? No, I do not.
This! On Sunday I wore my new "not aspiring to be humble" t-shirt with pride.
I grew up with this succinct admonishment from my mother, “Pride goeth before the fall.” Some days those words imbedded in my psyche holds my desire for
Humility intact. Some day reminds of my foolishness of thinking too highly of myself.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders's comment was just plain mean. It reveals a great deal about her character and values.
These words are really wrapped up in church speak for me and my brain is busy parsing other things, so I'll just say that when I read this quote, I simultaneously processed it as an insult of "uppity" (racist) and "childless" (sexist).
It seems we are all contemplating the meaning of “humble” when used as an adjective. When I heard the words of Sarah Huckabee Sanders I immediately thought of the verb humble, as in “to destroy the power, independence, or prestige of” (per Merriam-Webster). In that case, I agree that Kamala Harris has not let her power be destroyed by anyone. And good on her!
I am not a well spoken person, so I have a hard time putting words to what I have to say. But sometimes the road to humility is taking the path down humiliation. The root of both of these words is not lost on me.
I’ve been a member of the Spice Cabinet for a couple years and I listen to and watch everything! Thank you for the Move In Special discount as I transferred from Patreon. This helps me continue to support PP for years to come. ❤️❤️
To me, being humble means acknowledging that what you have accomplished is not all you. That you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. It doesn’t mean that you downplay your ability or accomplishments, but that you understand and express that didn’t get there alone.
My four cents is that it was a shitty dig on Huckabee Sanders part. It was a shitty, graceless , un-Christian-like comment, meant to put down another woman, another human, with a goal of inciting condemnation from her audience. Where's the humility in that? If she were truly humble in the face of her maker, she would never have said that. The comment reveals her as the ruthless politician that she is.
Also, there is a time and a place for humility. As a young, female engineer who was taught to be humble, I did not boast about my accomplishments at work, and you know what happened? The men around me took credit for my work. They boasted and bragged about these things that "they" did. And you know what else happened? They got a raise and a promotion. I got a developing review because I "didn't do anything." I'm so tired of this idea that women should not take credit for their work. Do I think we should be obnoxious about it? Absolutely not. But now at work, I proudly say,"I accomplished this." "This change was my work." "I am excellent at my job."
So well said!
Humility and humble strike me somewhat differently *and* I think we as white women also need to see the history and racism of a white SHS saying a Black woman aspiring to be president should be “humble.” Are we asking if DJT is humble? Pres Obama? Bush? Clinton?
My quick $0.02 before the 4th graders come back from music.