Sit Down, Be Humble

I’m reading Yuval Noah Harari’s latest opus 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (a Xmas gift from my lady) and was struck by a section on the importance of humility.

Harari investigates the genesis of human morality by looking to the animal kingdom, detailing the story of a pygmy chimpanzee named Kidogo who suffers from a serious heart condition at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

“When he first moved to the zoo, he could neither orient himself nor understand the instructions of the human caretakers. When the other chimpanzees understood his predicament, they intervened. They often took Kidogo by the hand, and led him wherever he needed to go."

Whether it’s the millennial face-timing a little too loudly on the subway or that old codger cutting you off on your evening commute home, it’s all too easy to let our emotions take the wheel and steer us off the cliff.

Yet it’s integral to take a deep breath before belittling our fellow man.

Have the courage to stand above your baser nature, to hold out your hand and offer them a way out of the darkness.