Pride

It is said, “pride cometh before the fall”, and that is true. Wikipedia’s definition is this,

Pride is an inward directed emotion that exemplifies either a high sense of one’s personal status or ego (i.e., leading to judgments of personality and character) or the specific mostly positive emotion that is a product of praise or independent self-reflection. Philosophers and social psychologists have noted that pride is a complex secondary emotion which requires the development of a sense of self and the mastery of relevant conceptual distinctions (e.g., that pride is distinct from happiness and joy) through language-based interaction with others.[1]Some social psychologists identify it as linked to a signal of high social status.[2] One definition of pride in the first sense comes from St. Augustine: “the love of one’s own excellence”.[3]In this sense, the opposite of pride is either humility or guilt; the latter in particular being a sense of one’s own failure in contrast to Augustine’s notion of excellence.

We are all prideful in one area or another. I know my pride has gotten in the way of certain things in my life. My pride kept me in a bad marriage. I didn’t want to fail, so I stayed longer than most people would have. It was my pride that made me hang on to a job that I hated. Because of my pride, I built a house I didn’t need, I just wanted. My pride has caused me to buy cars that were way too expensive.

Pride will keep us in unfavourable situations because we don’t want anyone to know what is really going on. I know too many people in this position, and I do understand it. I have been there myself. Everyone wants to be excepted, wanted and needed. I don’t know why we are like this. Is it the way we are brought up?

Pride cometh before the fall. I hope I don’t fall anymore. Maybe I have finally learned my lesson. I’ll keep you posted!