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The Power of a Humble Life
This book examines what I consider one of life’s greatest paradox - that strength is found in humility. The problem is, humility does not come naturally to us. As we grow up, we find that pride is ingrained in our very being as we seek to prove to the world that our lives matter. We want to stand out in the crowd. Very few of us want to be completely out of the limelight with a sense that his or her life is not important. One of the most important truths I have learned over the course of my life is that we are responsible for seeking a humble life and cultivating a humble heart. We must therefore realize that humility is a choice that we must first make, and then pursue. - Richard E. Simmons III
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 25, 2024
It’s equal parts brutal and beneficial to read books that hold up a mirror to reveal your lacking. This paradox of a title piqued my interest as I pursue greater meekness and humility.
Simmons wrote many compelling points regarding pride and it’s aptness to deteriorate our ability to be grateful and to live in peace without the pressure of attaining extravagant success. “Pride is the essential vice, the utmost evil. It is the complete anti-God state of mind.” and how true that is! It fools us to think that by painting ourselves as indestructible in self-sufficiency, immovable in opinion, and without blemish or flaw, that we would then achieve the highest degree of recognition and praise. Isn’t that the core of a prideful person’s desire? To be recognized, glorified, and coveted? The prideful person is starved for glory and are even guilty of duplicity (a contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action. it’s hiding one’s true intentions by deceptive words or action). This was compelling for me personally as I clung to “fake it till you make it” ideologies to bolster my confidence as a means to achieve certain goals and even to appeal to the favor of man. However, to hide our true selves, we become imposters and this erodes a character of integrity that God commands us to have. Self-righteousness blinds us with our own perceived goodness and makes us foolish as we stumble over our arrogance with counterfeit confidence and contentment.
What then is humility? It is of great value. “Stephen Covey said, ‘Humility truly is the mother of all virtues. It makes us a vessel, a vehicle, an agent instead of ‘the source’ or the principle. It unleashes all other learning, all growth and process.’” It is the reality that we owe God and other people a great deal. Thus, humility begins with gratitude. Thanksgiving mollifies a prideful heart and Deuteronomy 6:10-13 becomes a personal realization for a prideful, self-sufficient person. The humble, contrary to worldly belief, are not the weak who are preyed upon but are the fittest, strongest, and most capable of even occupying leadership roles. Humility enriches the life of a believer as they no longer strive for glory of self but of their Creator who satiates that impossible hunger in man to glorify something or someone. There is power in being humble, not that it makes us unbothered with the nuances of life, but it gives us a right and sober capacity to understand what is preeminent: to commit your life and all your deeds to the Lord. This is the greatest act of humility.
The minus 2 stars were mostly due to the repetitive nature of the book. I also thought that the ratio of the author’s writing versus quotes or excerpts from other figures were too outweighed. However, this was a dipping-my-toe-into-the-water kind of book and helped to motivate me to read up on what other faithful figures taught regarding humility so yay for that!
Simmons wrote many compelling points regarding pride and it’s aptness to deteriorate our ability to be grateful and to live in peace without the pressure of attaining extravagant success. “Pride is the essential vice, the utmost evil. It is the complete anti-God state of mind.” and how true that is! It fools us to think that by painting ourselves as indestructible in self-sufficiency, immovable in opinion, and without blemish or flaw, that we would then achieve the highest degree of recognition and praise. Isn’t that the core of a prideful person’s desire? To be recognized, glorified, and coveted? The prideful person is starved for glory and are even guilty of duplicity (a contradictory doubleness of thought, speech, or action. it’s hiding one’s true intentions by deceptive words or action). This was compelling for me personally as I clung to “fake it till you make it” ideologies to bolster my confidence as a means to achieve certain goals and even to appeal to the favor of man. However, to hide our true selves, we become imposters and this erodes a character of integrity that God commands us to have. Self-righteousness blinds us with our own perceived goodness and makes us foolish as we stumble over our arrogance with counterfeit confidence and contentment.
What then is humility? It is of great value. “Stephen Covey said, ‘Humility truly is the mother of all virtues. It makes us a vessel, a vehicle, an agent instead of ‘the source’ or the principle. It unleashes all other learning, all growth and process.’” It is the reality that we owe God and other people a great deal. Thus, humility begins with gratitude. Thanksgiving mollifies a prideful heart and Deuteronomy 6:10-13 becomes a personal realization for a prideful, self-sufficient person. The humble, contrary to worldly belief, are not the weak who are preyed upon but are the fittest, strongest, and most capable of even occupying leadership roles. Humility enriches the life of a believer as they no longer strive for glory of self but of their Creator who satiates that impossible hunger in man to glorify something or someone. There is power in being humble, not that it makes us unbothered with the nuances of life, but it gives us a right and sober capacity to understand what is preeminent: to commit your life and all your deeds to the Lord. This is the greatest act of humility.
The minus 2 stars were mostly due to the repetitive nature of the book. I also thought that the ratio of the author’s writing versus quotes or excerpts from other figures were too outweighed. However, this was a dipping-my-toe-into-the-water kind of book and helped to motivate me to read up on what other faithful figures taught regarding humility so yay for that!
May 28, 2018
Humility is a counter-cultural theme. It presses against our self-protective and self-righteous tendencies... my protective and self-righteous drift. The book is well written and engaging. But more than that, it’s convicting and Biblical. I needed this. It tugged me to Christ. It tugged me to God’s Word and it propelled me toward a posture of grace and love. Humbly.
May 26, 2025
4.0 way better than I thought it’d be!
Basically just a book on the effects of pride and how it can ruin our leadership in each context we live.
Richard Simmons came and spoke to me and a group of guys at a retreat my mentor put together and brought these books. He gave a brief message about humility and why it’s needed in leadership to be successful. The book expounds on his words in a pretty detailed way.
My one thing I didn’t love is how much he cites C. S. Lewis. Love Lewis but I’m not reading his book. I know he’s got so much gold on pride but it was frequent.
Thought Simmons does a great job incorporating other stories about leaders/people we know who encounter Christ—especially the stories about Chuck and Ronald Reagan thought those were cool.
"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more than the next man"
— C. S. Lewis
"People would rather be envied for their material success than respected for their character."
— Christopher Lasch
"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit"
— quote on Ronald Reagan’s desk
Basically just a book on the effects of pride and how it can ruin our leadership in each context we live.
Richard Simmons came and spoke to me and a group of guys at a retreat my mentor put together and brought these books. He gave a brief message about humility and why it’s needed in leadership to be successful. The book expounds on his words in a pretty detailed way.
My one thing I didn’t love is how much he cites C. S. Lewis. Love Lewis but I’m not reading his book. I know he’s got so much gold on pride but it was frequent.
Thought Simmons does a great job incorporating other stories about leaders/people we know who encounter Christ—especially the stories about Chuck and Ronald Reagan thought those were cool.
"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more than the next man"
— C. S. Lewis
"People would rather be envied for their material success than respected for their character."
— Christopher Lasch
"There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit"
— quote on Ronald Reagan’s desk
September 29, 2023
Good short book on the virtues of humility and maintaining the duality of being kind and gentle while being brave and fearsome with references to business literature and other sources.
The majority of the second half of the book is based on faith however. It seems that the author sees the path to humility only achievable through faith. I wish there were more arguments and points of view shared for more diverse type of audience.
The majority of the second half of the book is based on faith however. It seems that the author sees the path to humility only achievable through faith. I wish there were more arguments and points of view shared for more diverse type of audience.
February 28, 2023
Very good book. Love the references to Mere Christianity and the guidance to becoming humble based on Christian values.
April 30, 2021
Life exists in balance. This is epitomized by ancient Chinese yin and yang philosophy. Day needs night, cold needs hot, silence needs noise, so on and so forth. In his book, Simmons puts the dichotomy between humility and arrogance under a microscope and the results are mostly unsurprising.
Anybody who lives in the modern western world is well aware of the impact of the internet and more specifically social media on our society. We have become a culture obsessed with image, and as a result the actual substance of our lives has decreased. Deeds are no longer done for altruistic reasons, but are rather performed for the recognition and approval of our “audience.” In his book, Simmons writes that “Many people are no longer concerned with lives of excellence. Instead, no matter how much a person accomplishes, he does not believe he is successful unless others know about it. We now regard success as achievement plus proper recognition of our achievement.” On this, I couldn’t agree more. You can see it happening ever more pervasively with younger generations as they become more and more transfixed with their social standing amongst their friend groups (and buried in their smartphones as a result.)
We live in a society that has been infected with pride for so long that it has become our lifeblood. Simmons writes: “If you go back 100 years, parents focused on their children’s character development. Today the emphasis is placed on their performance, and look at what it is doing to them. This is what pride can do to us and our families.” This emphasizes a mass cultural shift from a focus on what is internal to a focus on what is external. Bernie Madoff was a greedy crook who took people’s money because he was scared of being caught and branded a failure. Ames department stores followed a similar pattern. Whereas in the 70s and 80s they were comparable to Walmart, Ames expanded too quickly, overreached out of fear of failure, and eventually went bankrupt (twice.) The hubris of Ames corporate leaders lead directly to the company’s demise. Walmart, on the other hand, has grown slowly and successfully over time due to the patient and humble business strategies of its long time CEO Sam Walton. (Many of you may protest and point to Walmart’s destructive strategy of moving into rural areas and outcompeting local independent businesses. While this may be true, it doesn’t discount the fact that Walmart has continually expanded over 60+ years and has become the worlds largest company.)
This same analogy even extends to consumer products. Beats by Dre headphones aren’t a very good quality product—mine began buzzing in the left ear within the first month of owning them—when compared with longtime industry champions like Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica. As someone who has spent over a decade producing music, believe me when I say this. Yet why do Dr. Dre’s headphones continue to sell? Not because of the engineering on the inside, but because of the way it looks to people on the outside. Are Gucci and Versace actually better brands of clothing than Levi’s and Kirkland? Structurally probably not, but boy do people look at you more.
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more than the next man” is a quote by the famed author C.S. Lewis, and this is where we have arrived. Teens don’t dance on Instagram and TikTok because they like dancing. They dance because it gets them more views than the next person. Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, has a net worth of around 80 billion dollars. But is it enough? Of course not. His company is still playing second fiddle to Bill Gates and Microsoft. The fact that everybody has heard of Microsoft, and so many less of Oracle, tells you all you need to know.
What can be done about these troubling trends is an excellent question. In his book, Simmons suggests we turn towards faith, and for him that faith is in Christianity. He writes that “God provides a key perspective on the humble life when He says, ‘But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth…’” Seems contradictory to me. It’s like God is saying “Be humble, praise me!” Perhaps it is simply that I am not a believer. But I think Simmons is heading in the right direction, that direction being a focus on others and not the self. What he is grasping at is the idea of not allowing oneself to become the center of one’s own universe. Less me, more we. It shouldn’t matter if you have more than your neighbor. The question of most importance is, do we both have enough?
It is plain and obvious that the scale has tipped much too far in the direction of ego and we must right the ship. If we don’t lean back towards humility and even ourself out, we are destined to crash. Don’t take my word for it. Go ask Bernie Madoff.
Anybody who lives in the modern western world is well aware of the impact of the internet and more specifically social media on our society. We have become a culture obsessed with image, and as a result the actual substance of our lives has decreased. Deeds are no longer done for altruistic reasons, but are rather performed for the recognition and approval of our “audience.” In his book, Simmons writes that “Many people are no longer concerned with lives of excellence. Instead, no matter how much a person accomplishes, he does not believe he is successful unless others know about it. We now regard success as achievement plus proper recognition of our achievement.” On this, I couldn’t agree more. You can see it happening ever more pervasively with younger generations as they become more and more transfixed with their social standing amongst their friend groups (and buried in their smartphones as a result.)
We live in a society that has been infected with pride for so long that it has become our lifeblood. Simmons writes: “If you go back 100 years, parents focused on their children’s character development. Today the emphasis is placed on their performance, and look at what it is doing to them. This is what pride can do to us and our families.” This emphasizes a mass cultural shift from a focus on what is internal to a focus on what is external. Bernie Madoff was a greedy crook who took people’s money because he was scared of being caught and branded a failure. Ames department stores followed a similar pattern. Whereas in the 70s and 80s they were comparable to Walmart, Ames expanded too quickly, overreached out of fear of failure, and eventually went bankrupt (twice.) The hubris of Ames corporate leaders lead directly to the company’s demise. Walmart, on the other hand, has grown slowly and successfully over time due to the patient and humble business strategies of its long time CEO Sam Walton. (Many of you may protest and point to Walmart’s destructive strategy of moving into rural areas and outcompeting local independent businesses. While this may be true, it doesn’t discount the fact that Walmart has continually expanded over 60+ years and has become the worlds largest company.)
This same analogy even extends to consumer products. Beats by Dre headphones aren’t a very good quality product—mine began buzzing in the left ear within the first month of owning them—when compared with longtime industry champions like Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica. As someone who has spent over a decade producing music, believe me when I say this. Yet why do Dr. Dre’s headphones continue to sell? Not because of the engineering on the inside, but because of the way it looks to people on the outside. Are Gucci and Versace actually better brands of clothing than Levi’s and Kirkland? Structurally probably not, but boy do people look at you more.
“Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more than the next man” is a quote by the famed author C.S. Lewis, and this is where we have arrived. Teens don’t dance on Instagram and TikTok because they like dancing. They dance because it gets them more views than the next person. Larry Ellison, founder of Oracle, has a net worth of around 80 billion dollars. But is it enough? Of course not. His company is still playing second fiddle to Bill Gates and Microsoft. The fact that everybody has heard of Microsoft, and so many less of Oracle, tells you all you need to know.
What can be done about these troubling trends is an excellent question. In his book, Simmons suggests we turn towards faith, and for him that faith is in Christianity. He writes that “God provides a key perspective on the humble life when He says, ‘But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you the power to make wealth…’” Seems contradictory to me. It’s like God is saying “Be humble, praise me!” Perhaps it is simply that I am not a believer. But I think Simmons is heading in the right direction, that direction being a focus on others and not the self. What he is grasping at is the idea of not allowing oneself to become the center of one’s own universe. Less me, more we. It shouldn’t matter if you have more than your neighbor. The question of most importance is, do we both have enough?
It is plain and obvious that the scale has tipped much too far in the direction of ego and we must right the ship. If we don’t lean back towards humility and even ourself out, we are destined to crash. Don’t take my word for it. Go ask Bernie Madoff.
March 11, 2023
We want to be known, to matter to others, to have their approval. Our pride can drive us to seek to be better than others, yet we rarely see that arrogant pride in ourselves, only in others. Allowing ourselves to be driven by our pride will only leave us feeling empty. There's no real peace when you're worrying about what others think of you. Humility is seen as weakness, yet one's true strength comes from being humble, not from being prideful. Humility is actually the mature character of a person, willing to learn from others, content with what they have, confident in who they are, teachable, generous, grateful. And humble people are usually more pleasant to be around! This is one of my very favorite books and I highly recommend it.
June 28, 2024
The first half was five stars; well written and easy to understand, with a variety of references and explanations. Then around page 90, it became Bible study. This surprised me, because I didn't realize it was a faith-based book. Why switch midway through? The first half was excellent and, If the author wanted to tie humility with faith, he could have included various world religions rather than limit it to strictly Christianity. The ending made it clear to me he was trying to bring the readers to Christianity, making it feel more like a recruitment book rather than a book about bout the power of a humble life in general.
August 4, 2023
A Humble Life Is Necessary
I’ve been reading a few titles on humility lately and this one came across my desk. It was a decent read, but I felt like I didn’t get enough of the author’s own thoughts. There were significantly longer sections from authors who I have already read, including Tim Keller, Jim Collins, C.S. Lewis. He did have some interesting anecdotes, but I found myself highlighting more text from his cited sources than the author himself. Not a bad read, but still not enough original content for my liking.
I’ve been reading a few titles on humility lately and this one came across my desk. It was a decent read, but I felt like I didn’t get enough of the author’s own thoughts. There were significantly longer sections from authors who I have already read, including Tim Keller, Jim Collins, C.S. Lewis. He did have some interesting anecdotes, but I found myself highlighting more text from his cited sources than the author himself. Not a bad read, but still not enough original content for my liking.
March 21, 2020
Humility is important
It was a decent read. As the chapters were short and to the point, with some short stories to elaborate on the topic. It kept me engaged at the start and middle, but it did get a bit slow towards the end. I do have a better understanding of humility, and the importance of it. As pride can be your downfall. It's important to be thankful for everything you have.
It was a decent read. As the chapters were short and to the point, with some short stories to elaborate on the topic. It kept me engaged at the start and middle, but it did get a bit slow towards the end. I do have a better understanding of humility, and the importance of it. As pride can be your downfall. It's important to be thankful for everything you have.
October 12, 2021
Our world is trapped by doing and being recognized. How many likes we get for a post. If the world worked on being humble, how much better would all our lives be.
I've been guilty of self righteousness. I recognized my sin a couple of decades ago and continue to work to overcome it. I pray that I can overcome pride and come to live a truly humble life.
I've been guilty of self righteousness. I recognized my sin a couple of decades ago and continue to work to overcome it. I pray that I can overcome pride and come to live a truly humble life.
June 29, 2024
A timely reminder
The social and political world is fracturing at the seams all around us and pride is at the center of it all. It is one thing to point out the problem, it is another to point to a remedy. This book inviting us to humility is the remedy we all need. I pray that we embrace humility before it is too late.
The social and political world is fracturing at the seams all around us and pride is at the center of it all. It is one thing to point out the problem, it is another to point to a remedy. This book inviting us to humility is the remedy we all need. I pray that we embrace humility before it is too late.
April 9, 2021
Impacted my Life!
This book caused me to do so much introspection. Introspection for the better. I am on a much better course of direction after reading this book. If you want to find out what a meaningful life is this book will help!
This book caused me to do so much introspection. Introspection for the better. I am on a much better course of direction after reading this book. If you want to find out what a meaningful life is this book will help!
May 1, 2021
Give a 5 stair. The absolute best I have read on humility.
Very timely subject. Easy to read, Includes many others opinions on the subject, “5 star plus” rating. I totally recommend!
Very timely subject. Easy to read, Includes many others opinions on the subject, “5 star plus” rating. I totally recommend!
June 14, 2023
eye opener. clear, simple and straight to the heart
Easy reading. And straight forward to the causes off every one faults. Supper recommended to everyone specially to the young entrepreneurs
Easy reading. And straight forward to the causes off every one faults. Supper recommended to everyone specially to the young entrepreneurs
May 19, 2018
Really good stuff. Lot of CS Lewis, who is strikingly good still.
August 23, 2021
Very thought provoking. Highly recommend this book, particularly to those in leadership positions.
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August 9, 2022Be humble
As you're climbing up the success ladder keep this book always by your side as it will always come in handy
As you're climbing up the success ladder keep this book always by your side as it will always come in handy
December 27, 2022
Great book. Did a good job of exploring the power of humility and shed light on some practical principles and mindsets that can be applied to life.
January 11, 2023
Excellent book
January 22, 2023
Read 3/4 and skimmed the rest. Didn’t enjoy. I get the gist. Be humble and cultivate gratitude. Very repetitive and not engaging reading for me.
April 13, 2023
A very thought-provoking book. It prompted a good bit of introspection, which yielded a desire to be more humble.
November 22, 2023
A humbling gem.
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and of course as long as you are looking down, you cannot see anything that is above you.”
“A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and of course as long as you are looking down, you cannot see anything that is above you.”
February 2, 2024
great read
Great read - I look forward to more Richard Simmons books. Thank you for this wonderful insight into humility ( and pride)
Great read - I look forward to more Richard Simmons books. Thank you for this wonderful insight into humility ( and pride)
February 29, 2024
You can be too humble
March 9, 2024
Read something I already know. The last chapter I couldn’t get through. It turned into a gospel preaching service which was not I was looking for.
October 3, 2021
Love it! Highly recommended for anyone who has been insecure throughout their life or feeling not good enough, chances are you are actually a prideful person. I am very grateful to have found this book. Also highly recommended for anyone working in corporate! Made me realise I should stop seeking validation from others.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews