The phrase “Pride cometh before a fall” probably came from the 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 16:18. Some versions say it this way, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Either way the point is fairly obvious. A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.
Have you ever thought of how Pride fits into your life? If you are GLBTQ then you have probably attended a Pride festival of some type. There is an interesting irony to this event, so I would like to share a few thoughts on Pride since June is rapidly approaching and Pride festivals will be taking place all over the USA and elsewhere.
Let’s look at this word a little closer, Pride [prahyd] noun, verb, prid·ed, prid·ing.
Noun ~
1. A high or inordinate opinion of one’s owns dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
2. The state or feeling of being proud.
3. A becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one’s position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.
4. Pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself: civic pride.
5. Something that causes a person or persons to be proud: His art collection was the pride of the family.
If we again look even closer one word seems to jump out in the definition, Ego. Look at the synonyms for Pride – conceit, self-esteem, egotism, vanity, vain glory, implies an unduly favorable idea of one’s own appearance, advantages, achievements, etc., and often applies to offensive characteristics. Pride is a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority in some respect: Pride must have a fall. Conceit implies an exaggerated estimate of one’s own abilities or attainments, together with pride: blinded by conceit. Self-esteem may imply an estimate of oneself that is higher than those held by others: a ridiculous self-esteem. Egotism implies an excessive pre-occupation with oneself or with one’s own concerns, usually but not always accompanied by pride or conceit: His egotism blinded him to others’ difficulties. Vanity implies self-admiration and an excessive desire to be admired by others: His vanity was easily flattered. Vain glory, somewhat literary, implies an inordinate and therefore empty or unjustified pride: puffed up by vain glory – boast.
The antonym is humility! Jesus taught us to have a humble approach to life and not get caught up in our own achievements. Life is about what you have to offer – what you give! Pride has its uses and serves to balance life, but it is a trap so many of us fall prey to. Celebrate your successes, feel good about yourself, know that you have great worth, and do it with humility, so you can avoid the fall!
😀 Sequoia Elisabeth
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