Certainly he meant nothing prideful. He simply means that he told his wife and friends the truth as best he could, had no fishy stories to reconcile, was honest with money and material things, etc. This was a truly grateful, humble fellow. Certainly he did not resemble the man pictured in the Cartoon, speaking to a larger audience, pounding on the table and with a jutting chin proclaiming that he had more humility than anyone there and could prove it. It is not the eternal search for truth, which is endless, and in which none achieve perfection.
Words are tools.
Like any other tools they get rusty and corroded when not used. More importantly we must familiarize ourselves with the tools, understand them and ever improve our skill in their use. Else the end product, if any, is pathetically poor. We thought of a dear friend in the fellowship prone like other alcoholics to move quickly from one hobby or interest to another, without really doing much of any of them. Once this friend decided that working with his hands would solve some problems, quiet his nerves and perhaps help him to achieve serenity and balance.