Hope you have got some sensible shoes on because I am about to take you on a hike up a hill I am prepared to die on. Ready? Here we go: anyone who uses the word “humbled” when they really mean “honoured” ought to be immediately thrown into solitary confinement and not allowed out until they have read a dictionary.
That may sound harsh but desperate times call for desperate measures: an epidemic of humbled-bragging appears to be sweeping the world. Every time a celebrity or sportsperson or LinkedIn thought-leader accepts an award or announces a new job these days, they trot out a line about how “humbled” they are. Just this week, Apple TV boss Zack Van Amburg responded to Ted Lasso’s Emmy wins by saying: “We’re so grateful and humbled.” Even heads of state aren’t immune. When Joe Biden won the 2020 US election he announced he was “honoured and humbled”. Respectfully, Mr President, becoming the most powerful person in the world is very much the opposite of being humbled.
