There is an interesting and moving incident attributed to the life of Mother Teresa. In order to raise funds for the poor and dying in her care, she would literally go from door to door, asking for help. On one occasion, when she extended her hand to a shopkeeper, the man spat into her palm to show his contempt for her.
Mother Teresa, however, responded with a smile: “You have given me what you have to give. But will you please give something for the poor and dying in my care?”
Her humility broke the arrogance of the man. Instead of continuing in his contempt, he was moved by her response and, imitating her generosity, gave her more than she had expected.
Whether or not every detail of the incident is historically verifiable, the moral it conveys is powerful: humility can awaken virtue in another person far more effectively than arrogance or retaliation.
The lesson is simple. When we humble ourselves for the sake of a common good, asking for help is not necessarily an act of humiliation. It can become an opportunity to awaken generosity in another person. Sometimes, one person’s humility brings forth the better nature of another.
This story is told again and again, not merely to parade Mother Teresa’s humility or to condemn the arrogance of the shopkeeper, but to remember how the shopkeeper’s better nature eventually overcame his moment of arrogance. For me, therefore, the real centre of the story is not Mother Teresa, but the shopkeeper—and the virtue that emerged from within him.
Ashram, August 12, 2026
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