“Kendini Unutmak”: Psikoloji Araştırmalarında Tevazu

Abstract

Humility has been a neglected virtue in psychology studies for a long time. In recent years, however, a substantial upsurge in the number of studies on humility has been observed. Delving into a relatively limited but promising research area, this review begins by presenting an etymological and conceptual examination on humility. Even though there is no consensus on how to define humility, its difference from other related concepts such as modesty, low self-esteem, and self-depreciation is pointed out. In addition to the discussions on the general structure of humility, the related literature also refers to context-specific forms of humility. Accordingly, the notions of intellectual humility, cultural humility, and relational humility are introduced as the sub-types of humility. Humility eventually entails one’s forgetting oneself. However, such an attribute poses an inconvenience for the measurement of humility by self-report techniques. In a quest of an appropriate method to evaluate humility, the current review also summarizes the different measurement techniques with a comparative focus. Those people who are really humble are expected to more effectively manage the situations in which it is difficult to show humility (e.g., interpersonal conflict, competition, acceptance of criticism). Relatedly, the importance of such stress tests is underlined for the more precise analysis of humble response patterns. The succeeding parts of this review scrutinize the precursors and consequences of humility in the light of existing empirical findings. Religiosity, secure attachment, and other character strengths (e.g., forgiveness, gratitude, and hardiness) are identified as the forerunners of humility. Humility-related outcomes are considered with reference to its restorative impact on psychological health, interpersonal relationships, work life, and societal tolerance. Whether it is possible to promote humility with certain psychological interventions is also considered with an applied perspective. Suggestions for prospective studies are proposed at the end of the current review.