Humility is a virtue everyone should embrace

American statesman Benjamin Franklin once said that to be humble to superiors is a duty, to equals is courtesy and to inferiors is nobleness.
Often we wonder whether this famous statement plays any role in modern society. Generally, today people tend to worry about what is said about them but listen less about other people say about them or others.
As a society, Ugandans appear to be more and more protective of themselves and less of others.
In one court case in Britain, Lord Atkin, while reviewing his draft judgment. In a case he had participated in at the House of the Lords, is reported to have consulted his young daughters during a family breakfast: “What is your understanding of the term your neighbour?” After a discussion, the daughters replied: “Daddy, we think that one’s neighbour means that is not necessarily one who lives next door to your house but any other person who is likely to be affected by what you do, make and say”.
From this observation, Lord Atkin formulated the famous rationale of his judgment which guided and continues to guide lawyers, litigants and courts about the branch of law known as Torts for generations, especially in common law countries.
The wider application of this maxim is far reaching. It means that if you make or produce anything to sell to anyone in the world, who is damaged by it either because of the materials or manner from which or how you made it, you become liable to compensate them even if you did not anticipate that they would buy it.
This is its legal meaning but its principle has a social and moral content. The cohesion of human society is maintained by observing the neighbour principle. It is a major ingredient of the virtues of humility.
It implies a duty of respect, and dignity in the personality of other people in the community of those who are affected by what you produce and sell.
We may wonder how Lord Atkin’s judgment can possibly apply to our acts and behaviour. In this column we discuss the effect it has on our lives, health and wellbeing and how they are affected by lies and fraud.
The examples we discussed show quite clearly that the legal maxim we are now concerned with substantially affects victims but every case is ignored by the suppliers, traders and practioners of fake or defective products, poor or non-existent services. The culprits are liable.
The victims have a right to complain to public officials or seek the services of lawyers and judges.
The maxim applies to diction of duty to perform for the benefit of individual or the community, diversion of property and funds assigned for the benefit of others or expropriation of supplies intended and for the benefit of others in the community.
In the society of today, failures to recorganise the dignity and value of others have become numerous.
The virtue is well illustrated in all religions and faith in the whole world. Christians recall their founder Jesus Christ humbly washing the feet of His disciples, a virtue religiously performed by the His Holiness the Pope and Bishop of Rome and leaders of other Christian sect. It is a virtue equally shared by other Christian faiths.
People in authority, especially public officials who fail, neglect or ignore the duty to respond to questions, whether positively or negatively, infringe on the virtue of humility to their neighbours who have problems.