I recently sat with my kids and watched the 2004 Disney-Pixar film, “The Incredibles.” This movie has already been recognized, by the likes of the National Review, to contain conservative themes. The Incredibles is primarily meant for entertainment, but there are a few really good zingers that attack the folly of socialist/egalitarian principles. One is spoken by the evil nemesis in the film, Syndrome:

I’ll sell my inventions so that everyone can be superheroes. Everyone can be super. And when everyone’s super, no one will be.”

Lines like Syndrome’s are music to a conservative’s ears.  But, this isn’t the only conservative lesson in The Incredibles. The virtue of humility is a prominent theme throughout the movie.

You may be a bit surprised at this point. How on earth does humility factor into the exploits of a bunch of superheroes just itching to show off their stuff? It’s all a matter of definition and context.

In our current era, the whole idea of what humility is has been confounded and/or quite deliberately corrupted. In colloquial thought, humility is often equated with weakness and a groveling self deprecation; this is the confounding of the idea. Humility, I think, has also been softly co-opted by leftist ideologues to mean a righteous (in their minds at least) conclusion that all people are equal in abilities and all civilizations are equal in moral worth; this is the corruption of the idea.

In the war of ideas, it’s high time to take back humility. . . and this really is a hill worth dying on.

Humility is both a love and a totally accepting embrace of the truth. Humility is a correct cataloguing of one’s personal strengths and weaknesses. It is also a full appreciation of one’s limits as a creature in the species Homo sapiens.

But, before any further discussion of what humility is, let’s first take a look at some other, surprising, examples of humility . . .

St. Paul in his epistles:

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to me at that day (2 Timothy 4:8)

Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? (1 Corinthians 9:1)

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, divers kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Have all gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But desire earnestly the greater gifts. And moreover a most excellent way show I unto you. (1 Corinthians 12: 28-31)

The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Gospel of Luke:

From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me (Luke 1: 48-49)

In the quotes above, the bolded and italicized emphases are all mine. They are meant to highlight the boldness of some of these statements . . . like St. Paul’s conclusion that he will merit a crown or his proclamation that he isn’t a mere disciple, he’s an apostle, equating his position to one of the original 12. Mary too makes a famously bold statement in the Magnificat of Luke chapter 1. She boldly pronounces that all generations will call her blessed.

Are the statements of St. Paul and the Blessed Mother humble? Unequivocally yes. Both were endowed by God with a special place and role in creation and salvific history, as we all are. The roles in the drama of human life aren’t all the same . . . thank goodness . . . but they are all of great importance, even if our limited wisdom can’t appreciate how. The humility of St. Paul and the Blessed Virgin is a two-fold recognition that (a) each is graced by God with a special purpose and (b) without God, each amount to nothing. Humility knows the truth about who we are as individuals, accepts our place as creature (as opposed to Creator), and recognizes our total dependence on God to be all that we can be (to borrow an old advert line for the Army).

The principle of humility can be summed in 3 tenets:

1. Realizing that each and every human being has a unique role in creation and thus a unique potential contribution to humanity and the world (as an aside, this tenet is more evidence of why abortion is such an intrinsic evil).

2. Without full cooperation with God . . . without our own personal Fiat (“Be it done unto me according to thy Word”) . . . our unique, individual potentials either lie dormant (remaining no more than a seed rather than a mighty oak) or mutate into something malignant to both ourselves and to others (e.g. the evil genius or the charismatic, but cruel dictator).

3. Service to others and personal sacrifice describe the narrow road on which humility is meant to travel. Detour to any other road and humility quickly diminishes, replaced all too easily by arrogance, pride, greed, envy, etc. Holy Thursday is an especially cogent day to appreciate this tenet. In Catholic Masses around the world, Jesus’ washing of the apostle’s feet is reenacted on Holy Thursday. It is meant to be a powerful reminder that we are to use our talents to serve others. Jesus Christ, the second person of the Holy Trinity, God incarnate, has every reason to exalt Himself above all creation. If anyone is supremely talented, it is He. Yet, He washed the lowly, dirty feet of man. This was a dramatic lesson in humility in action . . .  you have unique talents and humility requires that you use them to serve others, even when that necessitates great personal sacrifice. Be not ashamed of your talents, but be ready to use them to promote good and protect the weak.

So, next time you sit down with your family to watch The Incredibles, remember then that this film, in a quiet way, teaches a great lesson about true humility. The Incredibles and the society in which they live eventually learn the value of unique talents applied in service to others. It isn’t about personal glory; it’s about the glory and the ultimate protection (even at the cost of great personal sacrifice) of the greater good. By the end of the movie, the Incredible family were shining examples of humility.

Finally, the movie ends with a prescient warning that virtue (including humility) must be safeguarded with perpetual vigilance. It is fittingly symbolic that the movie ends with the threat of the Underminer, a new nemesis who emerges from the earth to threaten mankind.

Behold, the Underminer! I’m always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me! I hereby declare war on peace and happiness! Soon, all will tremble before me!

“Underminer” is a great name. Wicked philosophies, such as socialism, really do undermine both the purity and the power of virtues like humility. Socialism and its disciples (like Obama) do indeed wage war on peace and happiness. Conservatives need to embrace truth, discern our own unique talents, rely on God, and fearlessly engage the enemy in the battleground of ideas. In humility, conservatives can be the incredibles who in millions of ways, both small and large, ensure a great (maybe not perfect, but great in so many ways) civilization.