I'd say that your assessment of the SoM is a direct hit. If one were to condense the entirety of the SoM, even as a political platform, "humility" would be that one word. Meek, for example, is often aligned with weak, not only because they rhyme, but the perception of a meek person is often perceived as reserved, shy, and, well, weak. I think it is just the opposite. I think of Teddy Roosevelt's quote of walking softly with a big stick. One is able to defend one's self without doubt, but would rather find any other solution to an issue than fighting over it. Our recent countrywide reaction to the death of George Floyd is a perfect example. Mayhem and destruction has far outweighed the perception of peaceful protest as a public response to the incident that should never have happened. Neither should the rioting.
I view the SoM as a slow, methodical progression of proper attitudes, beginning with the simple, and meant to be easy attitudes to acquire, gradually becoming more difficult to accomplish, but also more far reaching in effect. The first attitudes discussed are personal improvement efforts. They are for healing the self of anger, bitterness, disappointment, and sorrow. "Physician, heal thyself" might be a good description of these beginning attitudes. Fix the faults in each of us first, then extend the effort outward to be of help and service to others. It is more difficult to be effective serving others if we are still broken, ourselves. The trend of this passage from self-motivated actions of improvement to outward-motivated actions is a difficult path to remain upon because it fights our somewhat natural inclination to be self-centered. But a society filled with self-centered individuals will only achieve greatness to the extent of the weakest, most self-centered among us.
A careful read and pondering of this progression of self-improvement to improve society as a whole is deliberate and satisfying, overcoming the natural self to be self-centered. "It's all about me" is replaced with "it's all about you, or us, together." As we master each attitude, becoming better attuned to its effort, the more we each heal ourselves and one another until we reach, at the conclusion, the most difficult of attitudes: to love our enemies. That's actually an oxymoron, but it could only be said in that fashion to realize just how difficult, but ultimately healing to all of society. A loved enemy is no longer an enemy. The real goal is to make of enemies friends, and not someone who is ignored. It's easy to ignore an enemy, and they remain such. But love engages. Love overcomes animosity. The enemy him or herself either reciprocate4s, in time, or doesn't, but either result should be faced with our same face, regardless. Unreciprocated love is hard to maintain, but that's the point. No one said it was easy to do. That's what makes the SoM so challenging, and, until it is sincerely tried, it cannot be panned as ineffective. Is there a better politick? No.
