Is it humble to give up my opinion to match everyone else’s?

Rabbi Landau teaches that your mind, like your face, reflects God. Chazal say that just as no two faces are the same, no two minds are the same. You don’t try to reshape your face to match someone else’s, because your face is a reflection of God, your tzelem Elokim.

“But here’s the part we forget. So is your mind, your thoughts, your intuition. That’s divine.” When you copy someone else’s opinion, he says, “you are not being humble. You are deleting a piece of God’s image in you.”

You were handcrafted by Heaven to think differently, to see what no one else sees. “Your face reflects God, so does your mind. Stop editing it to please the crowd.”

Also answered in this teaching

Does this mean I should be stubborn about my opinions?

In A Soul at Peace, Rabbi Landau writes that the work is not stubbornness, and not brushing aside the words of your rabbi or friend. It is not shaming your inner voice: listen to it, check it, and if it holds up, give it a voice.

Going deeper: Rabbi Landau's teaching, level by level

Surface claim

Your mind is as unique as your face, and both reflect the image of God.

Fear, vulnerability, or tension

Going along with the crowd can feel like humility. Rabbi Landau teaches that it is actually self-erasure.

What may be behind it

In A Soul at Peace, Rabbi Landau distinguishes between setting aside the ego, which says “my opinion matters more than yours,” and erasing the image of Hashem in you. The first is humility; the second is not.

Deepest human truth

You were designed by Heaven to see what no one else can. Do not erase that signature to please other people.

More questions from this teaching

• What does it mean that no two minds are alike?