Humility is Radical Resistance in the Age of Self-Promotion
True dignity comes not from broadcasting ourselves but from anchoring ourselves in gratitude and sincerity.
By Muneeb Nasir
We live in a culture that prizes self-promotion over humility.
Scroll through social media and it seems everyone is peddling a public résumé: a new promotion, a child’s award, another vacation photo, the latest restaurant outing.
There’s nothing wrong with sharing moments of joy.
But when life becomes a stage for constant promotion, humility—the quiet virtue—gets drowned out.
Humility is the ability to recognize that our blessings are not self-made trophies but gifts.
Islam teaches this at its core.
The Qur’an describes the servants of God as “..those who walk humbly on the earth” (25:63).
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “..No one humbles themselves for the sake of God except that God raises them in rank.”
In other words, true dignity comes not from broadcasting ourselves but from anchoring ourselves in gratitude and sincerity.
Yet our culture rewards the opposite.
Algorithms thrive on self-promotion.
The more polished our highlight reels, the more validation we receive.
It’s no wonder humility feels invisible.
We’ve traded the quiet grace of character for the noisy performance of ego.
Restoring humility requires conscious effort.
It means asking hard questions before we post: Am I sharing this to benefit others—or just to be seen?
It means doing good privately, where only God knows.
It means shifting from spotlighting ourselves to celebrating others.
And it means practicing gratitude until our hearts know that every talent, opportunity, and blessing is not earned but entrusted.
Humility doesn’t mean silencing ourselves.
It means showing up without the need for recognition.
In an age obsessed with self-promotion, humility is radical. It is resistance.
And when the likes fade and the feeds go quiet, one question will remain: What did we build—an image for others, or a character for God?