Humility is not just the opposite of narcissism; it is a character trait upon which most others can be built. Pride and confidence are good things but when they reach unhealthy levels in us they turn into narcissism. Narcissism is confidence gone too far. There is so much ego that we are unable to admit imperfection or weakness to ourselves, let alone others. Being humbled is good medicine for too much ego. If we can find some humility on our own, we can avoid the pain that often comes with being humbled. The trick is that being narcissistic makes finding humility on our own almost impossible. It can even make finding humility after being humbled difficult.
I believe that humility can counteract narcissism, as well as, serve as a solid foundation for overcoming the rest of the negative character traits in the Dark Triad. With humility, we can start a Triad of Light. Humility will drive us away from hurting and manipulating to helping and supporting others. Humility in the trailer is the young engineer asks the experienced craft pro for their perspective when making a work plan. Humility on the jobsite is the superintendent helping the young engineer with layout or jumping into fresh concrete to help a struggling crew finish a pour right (without too much yelling of course). Humility in the office is the project manager asking the new certified payroll assistant for help reviewing weekly reports or admitting to the accountant when their P&L calculations are off by a few pennies. In general, a humble mindset will help us be our best while manifesting itself via help and support of others.
Humility is just a good starting point when building knowledge, projects and relationships. A humble mindset helps us:
Avoid getting blindsided during a project.
Stay honest with ourselves.
Put in the work to succeed.
Treat people right.
In addition to helping construction pros build a better world, working with humility can make the process less stressful and a bit more enjoyable during the long days and hard times most jobs encounter. In a trailer full of overconfidence and ego, be the person that gets things done over getting your way.
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