TL;DR
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The Good Men Project published Matt’s first-person essay “Try ‘Humility’ (Again),” in which he reflects on anger, political events and the difficulty of maintaining a spiritual practice of humility. The piece is a personal reflection, not a report documenting or independently verifying the political claims it discusses.
The Good Men Project published Matt’s first-person essay “Try ‘Humility’ (Again)”, about the tension between his spiritual commitment to humility and his anger over political events, discrimination and what he sees as failures by allies to speak up. The essay matters as a personal account of how a practice associated with compassion can feel difficult when someone believes their humanity and rights are being dismissed.
Matt begins by referring readers to “Try ‘Humility’ (Part 1),” recommending they listen to that earlier piece for what he calls the “full experience.” He recalls imagining a humorous commercial about humility, then describes checking his student loan account while helping his partner move. He says he had been enrolled in the federal SAVE student loan repayment program and had looked into his account after the program was cut. The source does not give a date for this episode or spell out the specific account changes he encountered.
Matt then recounts seeing a message on the Department of Education website that struck him as resembling state-run radio. He says he turned to Instagram hoping for news about the Baltimore Ravens but instead encountered posts about U.S. actions and conduct he viewed as troubling. His examples include the treatment of Gazans, the justification of predatory behavior, bullying and what he describes as providing safe haven to racists. These are his characterization of events in a personal essay; the article does not supply separate reporting or evidence to verify each claim.
The piece is written partly as a conversation with a therapist, whose brief questions prompt Matt to examine his reactions. He admits wanting to use sarcasm and condescension to make people who disagree with him feel the way he feels. At the same time, he argues that his views draw on historical, scientific and experiential grounds, not emotion alone. He describes feeling hurt when others treat that hurt as an inferior argument and says he is trying to balance compassion with refusing to ignore injustice.
Humility Amid Anger and Injustice
Matt’s essay focuses on a conflict readers may recognize: whether responding with restraint is a meaningful personal choice or an unfair demand placed on people who feel targeted. He writes that he does not want to “blow up” and give others another excuse to target people, but also does not want to stay silent when he believes allies are failing to challenge harmful conduct. That tension gives the piece its central concern: how to preserve one’s values without treating anger as a moral failure.
He also rejects the idea that humility requires accepting unequal treatment. Matt says he believes people deserve the same respect and rights regardless of skin color or sex, and that his practice is about the person he wants to be—not about proving a superior moral position. This distinction matters because the essay presents humility not as agreement or surrender, but as an effort to act without losing sight of one’s commitments.
The author’s account is personal rather than a policy analysis or an independently verified record of the issues he mentions. Its value for readers lies in showing the emotional and ethical questions behind political disagreement, while leaving the underlying events and claims to be assessed through other reporting and evidence.
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From a Humility Part One
The supplied source identifies the essay as a continuation of “Try ‘Humility’ (Part 1)” and directs readers to listen to it. The source text does not provide the earlier piece’s publication date, format details beyond the author’s recommendation to listen, or a summary of its full argument. Matt’s new essay makes clear that humility is part of his spiritual practice, but the available material does not establish a particular religious affiliation.
Within the essay, the immediate personal backdrop is Matt’s account of checking his federal student loan account while briefly in Boston to help his partner move. He connects that moment to frustration about the Department of Education website and to political content he encountered on Instagram. The article offers no dates for those events, and it does not identify the specific website message or posts.
The essay later turns to a story about the Buddha being spat on by an angry man. Matt presents the story as an example of responding with kindness while protecting oneself and not losing one’s purpose. He uses it to explain the aspiration behind humility, while acknowledging that he does not claim to meet that standard. The story functions as his spiritual reference point, not as independently sourced historical reporting in this article.
““I use my humility to get to my conclusions. I’m proud as hell about how humble I am.””
— Matt, the essay’s author
Details the Essay Leaves Open
The supplied source does not state when the essay was published, when Matt checked his loan account, or what specific changes he saw. It also does not identify the Department of Education message, link to the Instagram posts he describes, or give details supporting each of his political characterizations. Those points should be treated as the author’s account and interpretation, not as independently established findings.
The source text ends mid-sentence after Matt says, “And when I,” so the supplied version may be incomplete. It is not clear from the material provided whether the original article continues beyond that point, what the remainder says, or whether it includes additional claims or conclusions. The text also gives no response from the Department of Education or from any person or institution referenced by Matt.
Read the Essay Alongside Part One
The source recommends listening to “Try ‘Humility’ (Part 1)” before or alongside the new essay. Readers seeking to evaluate the political or policy issues Matt mentions will need to consult reporting and primary records about those issues; the essay itself does not present documentation or a formal investigation. No later publication, response, or follow-up is specified in the material provided.
The immediate next step is to read the complete original essay, since the supplied text cuts off before its final thought. Until the full text and publication date are confirmed, the article’s ending and chronology remain unverified from the source material here.
Key Questions
What is “Try ‘Humility’ (Again)”?
It is a first-person essay by Matt, published by The Good Men Project, about trying to maintain humility and compassion while feeling angry and hurt by political events and perceived injustice.
Is the essay a news investigation of the political issues it mentions?
No. The supplied text is a personal reflection. It does not provide independent reporting or documentation to verify the author’s descriptions of political events.
What earlier work does the essay refer to?
Matt recommends readers listen to “Try ‘Humility’ (Part 1)” for the full experience. The supplied material does not give the earlier work’s date or a complete summary.
What does Matt mean by practicing humility?
He describes humility as part of his spiritual practice and an effort to act in line with his values without losing himself to anger. He also argues that this does not mean accepting unequal treatment or remaining silent about harm.
Is the supplied essay complete?
That is unclear. The provided text ends mid-sentence, so readers should consult the original article for its complete ending and any material not included in the supplied version.
Source: goodmenproject.com
