Mother Teresa’s List of Humility

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, the soon-to-be saint — who experienced decades of spiritual darkness while working among the poorest of the poor — also had a practical and down-to-earth (and very memorable) way of speaking and teaching what she knew. Here is how she advised us to cultivate humility in our lives.

“These are the few ways we can practice humility:

To speak as little as possible of one’s self.

To mind one’s own business.

Not to want to manage other people’s affairs.

To avoid curiosity.

To accept contradictions and correction cheerfully.

To pass over the mistakes of others.

To accept insults and injuries.

To accept being slighted, forgotten and disliked.

To be kind and gentle even under provocation.

Never to stand on one’s dignity.

To choose always the hardest.”

―Mother Teresa, The Joy in Loving: A Guide to Daily Living