is it ok to be humble?

[Topkat13]

Beats being an A hole.

 

[Swerve]

I actually find arrogant people fascinating, and fun to mess with. It's one of the reasons I stick around this forum.

 

[Aberdumbie]

Humility is the very best quality in a man.... However your worst quality on stage. People want a show and you are competing with their cellphone.

 

[FirewalZ]

Here’s what I do. I “secretly” have a pretty strong singing voice….i keep it in my back pocket until those times when lead singer syndrome rears its ugly head. Than I’m like chill out, I can sing to, but can you play bass?

 

[Selim]

Creativity is the product of ego, without ego we would not be able to create music or anything else. But ego needs to be in balance with humility, which is connected to the soul.

Balance.

 

[mambo4]

Humility is a necessity for learning and growth.
Maybe even for creativity?

 

[DrBnz]

Its REQUIRED

 

[mambo4]

Humility is the very best quality in a man.... However your worst quality on stage.

Maybe stagecraft ( / showmanship / jazz hands / dancing like a fool ) is necessarily an ego product for some people.
I think one can be both humble and put on a hell of a show. Not that the audience would ever see it as humble, of course.

Self confidence, when perceived by others, is easily confused (and conflated) with ego, I guess.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

Acting egotistical is a defense for feeling insecure.

 

[Liam Wald]

I'm humble in real life. But not on the stage. Even though I am far from the best bass player around, when I am on that stage, I have it in my mind that I am the baddest Mfer that ever stroked a bass!

This, in my opinion, is a great mindset.
Some people don't want to believe it but music IS show business.
It is part of the entertainment INDUSTRY.
Putting on a show is usually the point. Performance and delivery is important.
Humility is a terrific attribute but it doesn't really belong on stage.

 

[BassicJazzy]

There have been millions of studies about things like this, but one on leadership that I remember talked about the most important qualities in a leader. The one at the top was...humility. If you want to lead people, or just be a great contributor, under-promising and over-delivering is the road to success.

Music is one of those things that, if you brag about yourself, and get an audition because of that, it doesn't take but a minute to discover that you're not only not a good enough musician, but you're also a liar. Game over, that door is shut forever.

If you don't brag, but you end up at an audition that you're not ready for, they will realize that you're not ready, but as you haven't lied, you and they will both know about how much ground you have to make up to be good enough, and you still have a shot in the future, assuming progress on your part. The first rock band audition I went to (VERY shortly after starting to play bass) I didn't get the gig. But I did tell them how long (short) my experience at that instrument was in the conversation we had. A year later, when their bass player moved on, I ran into the guitarist in that band. "You still playing bass? Yes. Come over Friday evening". I got the gig on the second try, with no hesitancy, and played in that band until it broke up (college bands have naturally limited lifespans).

I agree with you about this being true in music. In business it is the exact opposite. If you don't think you are the best thing to hit whatever service or product offering in your market segment, forget about anyone noticing or paying attention to you or your product. Over promising and under delivering is the name of the game. Outright lying about deliverables, or past experience, not far behind. All the CEOs I ever dealt with were massive narcissistic buggers with huge Napoleon complexes. I guess if you want honesty, humility, and integrity, you should go into politics?

 

[J Wilson]

EVERY truly great player I've met was very self-effacingly humble.

I was taught the meek will inherit the Earth. My claim must still be in probate . . . . .

 

[SactoBass]

What impresses me the most is talent. Real talent. Those who are really talented don't have a need to act as if they are talented. Their skills do the speaking. An example is James Taylor, who my wife and I have seen in concert many times. He is very humble. He is also VERY talented. It's his talent that impresses me. He has no need to try to show off because his talent speaks for itself. My Chris Squire avatar is a giveaway, but I've been a YES fan since 1971 and I have seen them in concert so many times that I've lost count over the decades. You talk about talent! Holy friggin hell!! And although some of them (mostly Chris and Rick) wore capes in the 70's for a little "stage ambience", they never acted like arrogant clowns jumping around like monkeys on stage. They let their talent do the talking. I remember back in the 70's, my buddy and I went to see a local rock band play at one of those popular joints on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood CA. The band's musical talent was just average, but they jumped all over the stage and made monstrous facial expressions as if we in the audience were supposed to be super wowed by being in their presense. After three minutes of that, my buddy and I looked at each other and said "let's get the F outta here" which we promptly did.

 

[Geepers]

Watch Sean Hurley videos. He gets this right IMO.

 

[BassicJazzy]

This, in my opinion, is a great mindset.
Some people don't want to believe it but music IS show business.
It is part of the entertainment INDUSTRY.
Putting on a show is usually the point. Performance and delivery is important.
Humility is a terrific attribute but it doesn't really belong on stage.

Agreed. I saw "Blue Nile" at Auditorium Theater in Chicago back in early '80's. They had an excellent album and were a very talented group, but the lead singer spent half the concert apologizing for what he considered a poor performance. It was the strangest thing I ever saw at a concert, becuase the performance was solid.

And then there was Miles Davis at same venue, late 70's, who came out, blew three notes on his trumpet, shook his head and walked off the stage never to return. his band played on for about 45 minutes and that was the concert.

To contrast these two, I saw Jethro Tull at Northwestern U in mid 70's when Ian Andersen had a bad case of flu, looked jaundiced on stage, but performed flawlessly and with full vigor, even though he probably wanted to crawl into a hospital bed. They put on a great performance. I had utmost respect for the band and the man after that.

 

[Luther]

i have confidence in my ability but i'm not a show off.

i think my qualities are more related to how i interact with people.

as derek smalls said: "luke warm water".

Modesty is a desirable trait.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Acting egotistical is a defense for feeling insecure.

Well, I used to be egotistical but now I'm perfect!

 

[ELG60]

My self categorization is as a competent hobbyist who is continually working to improve, but considering my age, how late in life I reengaged,and limited God-given innate talent, there's a ceilIng to how good and complete a bass player I'll ever be. I try to have a realistic opinion of my abilities, which helps keep me humble.

I'm reminded of Winston Churchill, when asked about his political opponent, Clement Atlee towards the end of WW Eleven, he stated: "He's a very humble man . . . And he has every reason to be."

 

[Thumpin6string]

 

[ric426]

I'm the most talented musician in my entire house, as long as the dog is asleep. If he starts snoring though, I'm outclassed.