"He who exalts himself shall be humbled; and he who humbles himself shall be exalted." (Matthew 23:12) The person who exalts himself ... will be humbled, because a person who considers himself to be good, intelligent, and kind will not even try to become better, smarter, kinder. The humble person will be exalted, because he considers himself bad and will try to become better, kinder, and more reasonable.

says, “he who humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

He who humbleth himself wants to be exalted.

“Those who humble themselves will be exalted” is not a promise of future prestige to those who have no prestige now or to those who have given up all reliance upon prestige. It is the promise that they will no longer be treated as inferior but will receive full recognition as human beings. Just as the poor are not promised wealth but the satisfaction of their needs — no one shall want; so the little ones are not promised status and prestige but the full recognition of their dignity as human beings.

Humiliation is mostly something we try to avoid, but it is something more often, all for the best, in retrospect. There is a lovely root to the word, the Latin word humus, meaning soil or ground. When we are humiliated, we are in effect returned to the ground of our being. Any fancy ideas we have about ourselves are shriven away by the reality of the moment. We come to earth with a thump. It may be a narrow piece of ground, but at least it is real and at least it is our own.

Sicut radix portat arborem, sic humilitas animam. Spiritus humilitatis est super mel dulcis, quo qui regitur dulcia poma facit.

If he exalts himself, I humble him.
If he humbles himself, I exalt him.
And I go on contradicting him
Until he understands
That he is a monster that passes all understanding.

Humility exalteth man to the heaven of glory and power, whilst pride abaseth him to the depths of wretchedness and degradation.

... for, him that is humble God will exalt

"E é um ato de humildade, que agrada muito a
Deus, o misturar-nos às vezes com os maus; é como quando um grande
fidalgo tem de estar lado a lado com um trabalhador de enxada... É como se
disséssemos: "Eu sou-te superior em virtude, mas comparado com o que
devia ser para entrar na glória, quem sabe se não sou tão pecador como tu!..."
E esta humilhação da alma é a melhor oferta que podemos fazer a Jesus."

In the contemplative Christian tradition, to be humiliated is to be returned to the ground of your being.

Humilitas homines sanctis angelis similes facit, et superbia ex angelis demones facit.

Hos ego versiculos feci, tulit alter honores.