We pay far too much importance to the false and borrowed virtues such as humility that we forget the real and self-generated virtues such as self-esteem. Humility, according to me, is a mere deception, and not based upon the reliance of one’s power to think with reason, unlike self-esteem. An honest and a smart man must assert his self-worth, and if he is on the truth’s side, he has got every right not to be humble.

Precisely that was the reason the great German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, who was also the proponent of Egoism, once famously remarked: Egoism is the very essence of a noble soul.

When we use the word boss in our daily routine to address an auto-rickshaw driver, or a subordinate in the office, or our servant at home, we know deep within that we are the ones who are superior to that person. We might try to project ourselves as a humble being, but, the fact of the matter is that we don’t understand true humility, which is nothing but being in sync with the truth. Even champion athletes of almost all sports (save for Boxing) applaud the skills of their opponents or their teammates. Actors on big stages try to prove in their speeches that they are down to earth individuals, but deep within, they all know that they are no Average Joes or Plain Janes.

An actor or an athlete has the moral responsibility to project himself as a role model, so I honestly don’t care much whether he presents the humble side of his nature or the arrogant one. But when a politician doesn’t speak the truth and tries to project himself as the Messiah of the masses, I certainly do. A man who just uses humility to hoodwink the society is a coward. He is not brave enough to assert his right to existence.

One must try to seek the truth (humbly) by reason, and then should discard the rag of the vice which you call a virtue: humility. An honest man doesn’t need humility. Truth alone will suffice.

We must fight for our happiness and, also, not ask someone else to sacrifice his happiness for us. If reason drives us, we would never destroy someone else’s right or freedom.

To love is to value. Only a rationally selfish man, a man of self-esteem, is capable of love because he is capable of holding firm, consistent, uncompromising, and unbetrayed values. The man who does not value himself, cannot value anything or anyone. Furthermore, only a man who values himself can give value to others. Only such a man is capable of love.

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