How does an exceptional person retain humility? This is a question that is both theoretically and practically important. One who has exceptional intellectual or spiritual gifts is certainly aware ot them.The Talmud (Nedarim38a) states that the Divine Spirit only rests on a person who is powerful, wealthy, wise, and humble.Does humility mean that he must in some way disregard such gifts? If this was so, this Talmudic statementshould have added "and ignorant" (See a discussion at the beginning of the first chapter of Ruach Chaim, R. Chaim Volozhiner's commentary on Avos).
This question has been extensively addressed in the past.
Moshe was "most humble of men who are on the face of the earth". The Ohr Sameach at the end of his Kuntres haKol Tzafuy v'haReshus Nesuna (hil tshuvah) suggests that it is precisely because Moshe Rabeinu was so great and spoke to Hashem face to face, he ascribed his achievements not to his own efforts, but to the fact that he was in a position to see what no other mortal experienced. He was "in heaven", while everyone else resides "on the face of the earth". However, this and other such explanations do not teach us, men who do live on the face of the earth, how to attain true humility.
One can also suggest that humility is not a lack of self awareness but an opposite or exclusion of arrogance. " The definition of humility is not, as is popularly conceived, a sense of meekness and low self-image in which a person has no sense of his own worth.Instead, a true sense of humility is complemented by self-assurance. The person radiates confidence and self-esteem, but has no trace of arrogance or boastful pride. He knows his personal virtues, exercises them productively, and yet this does not lead to egotism or haughtiness.
We see this fusion exemplified by Moshe, our teacher. He himself told the Jewish people: "It is I who stands between G-d and you," and it was he who wrote the verse: "And there never arose in Israel a prophet like Moshe." Nevertheless, he was "more humble than all the men on the face of the earth."
Moshe did not see pride and humility as conflicting tendencies. Although he knew the greatness of the mission he had been given, and realized that he had been granted unique personal traits to enable him to fulfill this mission, this knowledge did not lead to ego-conscious pride. On the contrary, he realized that he had been endowed with these potentials by G-d; they were not the fruit of his own efforts. Moreover, he believed that if these gifts had been given to another, that person might have achieved even more than he."
"There is another approach to this question which also can teach us how to be humble. It maintains that a human being is composite of different parts. This is the standard medieval and eenlightenment view that sees humans as being a combination of intellect, passions, desires and spiritual gifts (in the modern times we do not think of these soul powers as being discrete but as intermixed and in dynamic interaction with each other at all times). While a particular individual may be superior to others in some aspects, in emotions we are all the same. It follows that while one individual may be superior to another in intelligence, he might be inferior to him in spirituality, and in emotions we are all equal. It may be that unusual tasddikim accomplish eventual purification of their desires and feelings, but that comes at the end their lives and after decades of work.
It is related that R. Hillel miParitch sought out the Alter Rebbe but always found that the Rebbe had just left as he arrived to the town in which he was staying. Once, R. Hillel managed to get into town before the Ater Rebbe. He immediately hid under the bed, with the goal of introducing himself to the Rebbe with a profound insight into the talmudic topic of "erokhin", "evaluations". As theRebbe walked into the room, R. Hillel heard him say: "Who is this young man who wishes to evaluate others but cannot evaluate himself?". With that R. Hillel promptly fainted and the Alter Rebbe left town.
Humility is attained when a person sees himself AS HE IS. Almost certainly, such an honest self-assessment will reveal that, whatever his intellectual attainments might be, his emotions are no more disciplined or restrained than those of other, less gifted people. Just read a few biographies of great explorers scientists, or leaders. They often failed miserably through emotions for in this sphere all people are the same. If so, from whence arrogance?!