Member-only story
What’s Wrong with Being Modest?
When I was a little girl, mom used to say to my sister and I, “Always, be modest. Don’t be too much. Step back. People won’t like you if you stand out.”
Of course, I would listen to mom and would always try hard to fit it and merge with the crowd. No only was I humble and modest, I was also shy and afraid to even to speak during classes at school.
I remember being so embarrassed in front of my peers at school, as I was so scared to express my opinion, because it was different from the teacher’s one. “You are not supposed to stand out,” I heard mom’s words…
My mother is a wonderful woman and she did the best she could with bringing my sister and I up, but she wasn’t aware of the implications of some of her advice. She meant well by telling us to be modest, quiet and meek. That was considered to be a norm in the society we lived in, in the post Soviet Union country. There wasn’t democracy with the freedom of speech and freedom of expression. You were not supposed to speak up and express your opinion openly.
Think of the implication of those beliefs on our life. They dim our inherent light, they suppress our individuality, they put a lid on the expression of our talents and creativity. God forbid, if you decide to say no to something or someone.
