In our time, the concepts of pride in religion and in everyday life have diverged greatly in their meaning. It seems that pride and dignity are one and the same, and humility comes from lack of willpower. But in the scriptures pride and ambition belong to dangerous vices that kill virtues. Still, being proud of yourself is good or bad? How to detect the signs of pride and use them for self-development? Perhaps pride has a reverse side, which is not contrasted, but complements this emotion favorably.
What is pride
Pride - a human emotion or character trait, reflecting a high opinion of his dignity. In Christianity, pride or pride are considered the worst enemies of a person who has departed from God. But in everyday language these single words are not considered synonymous, so pride can be interpreted as a virtue or a vice. Pridelike self-esteem and the need for self-esteem is subject to approval. Pride, arrogant, contempt, demonstration of superiority over others is condemned in religion and in everyday life.
In a figurative sense, pride is regarded as a state of self-satisfaction for the efforts made. In such cases, they say: "I am proud of myself" or "I am proud of my willpower." A sense of significance arises even in cases when pride is directed not towards oneself, but into the external world — towards family, work collective, country, nation. Then we say: this is the pride of the school / university / state. "
There is no concept in psychology norms of pridebecause this emotion belongs to subjective and to some extent negative moral feelings. First, it expresses a biased attitude to something. Secondly - it depends on the assessment of others, and the unrecognized by others emotion causes offense and anger. Thirdly, pride, which has become the dominant characteristic of the personality, becomes pride. Therefore, dignity is considered a more appropriate emotion.
The idea of pride in pre-Christian times
At the time of antiquity in the image of the powerful goddess Gibris embodied pride, arrogance, audacity, arrogance. And also - a titanic desire to prove superiority over the Gods, threatening to disrupt the existing order. It is not surprising that these qualities were criticized in the poems of Hesiod, the fables of Aesop.
In the first works of Aristotle, the concept of "pride" was replaced by "stateliness" - a moral ideal crowning the entire system of human values. Later the Aristotelian tradition was also criticized, and in place of the arrogant Prometheus, Narcissus, Oedipus, in the literature and philosophy came the embodiment of evil Lucifer.
Pride and pride in religion
In the Holy Scripture, pride is emphatically condemned and mentioned in a negative sense. In total, this topic is mentioned in biblical texts almost 100 times. It is believed that arrogance, vanity, resentment, ambition give a person a distorted opinion about himself. These passions are opposed not only to humility, but righteousness in general. The second important point is that pride interferes with personal morality, but it creates sorrow and turns life into something very difficult.
Many works and explanations of the negative side of such passions were dedicated by the Optina Elders - the spiritual leaders of the laity:
- Rev. Barsanuphius wrote: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. "
- Rev. Makarii believed that people attribute pride to positive qualities "... out of ignorance or from the darkening of passions".
- Rev. Anatoly wrote: "... There is worldly pride - this is wisdom, and there is spiritual pride - this is pride ".
But still, what is pride and how is it different from pride? Although both qualities are considered equally sinful, small the differences in concepts exist. Namely - in the degree of manifestation.
What is pride
Pride is extreme self-confidence, a terrible spiritual illness that is cured with difficulty. She breathes contempt, disrespect for others, lust for praise. If pride manifests itself from time to time or on different occasions, then pride fills everything, it manifests itself in facial expressions, gestures, facial expressions, and utterances.
Pride and arrogance do not accept all the religions of the world. In Islam, humility during prayer is compared with the presence of the heart in front of Allah the Most High. But a loud statement about humility is considered a sign of arrogance. In Judaism, humility is considered one of the most important moral qualities. In Hinduism, humility is considered a powerful tool for curbing the ego, and in Buddhism it is considered not the opposite, but an addition to pride.
Pride in psychology
Psychologists say that a person without pride does not exist. Simply, this feeling is found so subtly that we do not even imagine how much we penetrate it. You can notice pride if you regularly devote time to work on yourself.
All signs of pride are difficult to enumerate. Here are some of them:
- Self-righteousness and infallibility (excellent student syndrome).
- A sense of personal importance and importance.
- Brag, thoughts of own superiority.
- Unwillingness to take responsibility for their actions.
- Attitude towards others down.
- Outrage against boasters.
- Feeling your own worthlessness and waiting for praise.
To discover these qualities in yourself means to recognize the enemy by sight. To pacify them or use them for their own development is everyone’s personal choice.
When pride becomes a stop
Pride is treacherous. On the one hand, it makes a person dependent on someone else's opinion. On the other - poisons social and personal life. A proud man refuses to believe in equality and tries with all his might to remake the world in his own mind. Considering himself to be the best, the proud person ceases to develop and sometimes even degrades.
What to do with yourself if pride interferes with living?
- First and foremost, to face their shortcomings. As long as we do not recognize our negative sides, we will not make them disappear, we will not find harmony.
- Love yourself. Pride as a defensive reaction arises from self-doubt.
- Learn to listen. Pride does not tolerate rivalry, it is deaf to the desires of other people. Skills of empathy and compassion will deal a significant blow to her.
- Gradually remove the crown of pride. Learning to do good anonymously so that no one will know about good deeds. Start to perform simple, everyday work: wash the dishes, care for animals, dig beds.
- Learn to sincerely praise other people.
Many of us are spoiled by the phrase: "Never ask for anything, you must have your own pride"We silently expect, are offended, or begin to demand. But it remains unclear - where is the line that cannot be broken? Often we just do not know how to make flaws with our own advantages.
When pride is good
If we consider pride as a self-esteem, it can be a beneficial emotion that helps foster endurance and perseverance. After all, every time we overcome difficulties, we get the right to put a tick in the "Reason for Pride" box.
Even its shortcomings can be wrapped up by virtues, if you look at them from a different angle:
- A shot of ambition can be a motivator for development and self-improvement.
- Awareness of self-esteem and self-value changes the habit of living by inertia, stimulates to change work or find a new hobby.
- Wounded pride helps to see the cause of the trouble and find the strength to correct it.
- The ability to appreciate yourself allows you to restore internal boundaries and self-esteem.
Psychologists advise: treat your pride with respect. On the one hand, there is nothing wrong with striving for the best and being proud of your achievements. On the other hand, our weaknesses form our individuality. It is possible that thanks to them you like others.
Findings:
- Christianity does not attribute pride to virtue, but considers it one of the most dangerous passions.
- Hypertrophied pride is called pride: the first one makes it difficult to ask for help, the second one prohibits taking this help.
- Pride, self-esteem and joy are compatible concepts if they contain positive energy.
