Life lesson in humility: The “ceramic cup” was never meant for you; it was meant for your job title — without it, you’re left with just a “styrofoam cup”
Remember this as you gain fame, fortune, and position: the “ceramic cup” was never meant for you; the “styrofoam cup” was the one meant for you
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| Man holding a white styrofoam cup |
Simon Sinek, author and inspirational speaker, once shared a true story at a youth event, a “Styrofoam cup” metaphor to remind us that success means very little without gratitude and humility in one's life, and that staying humble at all stages of our lives protects us from being obsessive and consumed by title and status.
The story goes something like this: A former undersecretary of defense was invited to give a speech at a large conference of about a thousand people. He was standing on the stage with his coffee in a styrofoam cup, giving his prepared remarks with his slide behind him.
At some point, he sipped his coffee and smiled as he looked down at the Styrofoam cup in his hand before sharing his “coffee cup” life lesson he had just realized.
Ceramic cup
The former undersecretary of defense then went off script and said, “You know, last year I spoke at this
same conference. I was still the undersecretary. They flew me here in
business class. When I arrived at the airport, someone was waiting to
take me to my hotel. They had already checked me in and brought me to my
room.
The next morning, I came downstairs. Someone was waiting
in the lobby to greet me, and they drove me here, to this same venue.
They took me through the back entrance into the green room and handed me
a beautiful ceramic coffee cup.”
Styrofoam cup
“I’m
no longer the undersecretary [now],” he continued. “I flew here in coach class. I took a taxi to my hotel, and I checked myself in.
When
I came down to the lobby this morning, I took another taxi to this
venue. I came in the front door and found my way backstage.
When I
asked someone if he had any coffee, he pointed to the coffee machine in
the corner. I poured myself a cup of coffee into this styrofoam cup.”
It was that very moment when the ex-undersecretary realized that: “The ceramic cup was never meant for me. It was meant for the position I held. I deserve a styrofoam cup.” 
Black coffee in a styrofoam or paper cup © Dreamstime | Lequint
Enjoy the perks, but don’t forget, it was never personally meant for you
Simon Sinek then added his humble insights based on the story, saying...
“Remember
this: as you gain fame, as you gain fortune, as you gain position, and
seniority, people will treat you better. They will hold doors open for
you and get you a (ceramic) cup of tea and coffee without you even
asking. They will call you 'sir' and 'ma'am' and give you stuff. None of
that stuff is meant for you. That stuff is meant for the position you
hold. It is meant for the level you have achieved as a leader, success,
or whatever you want to call it.”
Simon explained that without
those leadership roles, the success you've achieved, and the positions
you hold, people will still, and always see you as only deserving a
Styrofoam cup.
“Remember that. Remember that lesson of humility
and gratitude. You can accept all the free stuff. You can accept all the
perks. Absolutely, you can enjoy them. But just be grateful for them
and know they are not [personally] for you,” Simon advised.
Humility
“We all deserve a Styrofoam cup...”
Simon also shared another similar story he encountered while on the Acela train trip from New York to Washington, DC. He said:
“I
remember getting off the Acela... I walked down the platform like
everyone else and past General Norton ‘Norty’ Schwartz, who used to be
the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, the Head of the Air
Force.
And here I did see a guy in a suit shlepping his suitcase
down the platform just like me... [But] a couple of months ago, he was
flying on private jets, had an entourage, and had other people carry his
luggage... He no longer held the position, so now he must drag his
suitcase... [It] reminds me more that none of us deserves the perks we
get. We all deserve a Styrofoam cup.”
A styrofoam or paper cup discarded on the beach sand © Dreamstime | BoumenjapetThe moral of the story is that fame, power, and status may change how people treat you, but when your title disappears, the privileges disappear too.
You can listen to Simon tell these stories himself, along with his full speech at the youth event, below:
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