Humility is a great quality but it should be only in reference to the Divine. And the Divine cannot be captured by any or all the perspectives or sects and paths. However sometimes one can feel His breath in certain movements, thoughts, feelings, gestures of people and it should fill our heart with gratitude and humility.
Politeness is a social virtue and has its place as long as it does not become an excuse for weakness that tolerates falsehood and unconsciousness just because one wants to remain polite and look good.
Being kind, courteous, generous and respectful are again great human qualities but it should mean that one should show agreement and nod one’s head in affirmation to whatever others say. One can remain silent when there is a disagreement of views and it is perhaps the best policy in personal conversations. But doing so in public discussions is not necessarily a good thing. The quest for Truth must be impersonal and not based on personal sentiments which belong to a different domain altogether.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
