Is Pride a sin when you dont recognize it?

[AaronsStaff]

Im having a little trouble understanding pride, and when it is a mortal sin. Sometimes I may have thoughts of pride that sort of creep up on me and fester for a while, but I dont notice them, but once I do I try to get them out of my head. Would this be a sin, if Im not trying to boast or think highly of myself in my thoughts, but the thoughts come anyway? Pride has never really been outward actions with me, but mostly thoughts most of which just pop into my head un-noticed. Im trying hard and praying that these thoughts and attitude go away. I also want to know when pride becomes a mortal sin. I know mortal sins cant be commited accidentally, so im asking, for a mortal sin of pride, is there a moment where you give into temptation and commit the sin of pride if so how?

 

[DanteAlighieri]

Im having a little trouble understanding pride, and when it is a mortal sin. Sometimes I may have thoughts of pride that sort of creep up on me and fester for a while, but I dont notice them, but once I do I try to get them out of my head. Would this be a sin, if Im not trying to boast or think highly of myself in my thoughts, but the thoughts come anyway? Pride has never really been outward actions with me, but mostly thoughts most of which just pop into my head un-noticed. Im trying hard and praying that these thoughts and attitude go away. I also want to know when pride becomes a mortal sin. I know mortal sins cant be commited accidentally, so im asking, for a mortal sin of pride, is there a moment where you give into temptation and commit the sin of pride if so how?

First of all, don’t scruple yourself to death over this! You’re absolutely right: you don’t commit a mortal sin by accident, though it’s possible to become enslaved by it.

Furthermore, there’s nothing wrong with being proud of one’s acheivements; it’s when we allow them to puff us up – when we use our achievements as the yardstick by which we measure our worth, or others’ lack thereof – that we sin.

To answer your question: I think one commits the sin of pride when one attributes one’s success to oneself. It’s a perversion of the virtue of humility, so think of opportunities for being humble as opportunities to be prideful.

Example:

Boss: “Wow, Joe, you really saved our company with that outstanding string of sales last quarter!”

Joe: (to himself) Yeah, I did. I’m a bad mamma jamma! It’s about time these guys figured out what they’ve got!

Pride.

Wife: Joe, you’re so sweet! This is the best birthday present ever!

Joe: (to himself) What did she expect? None of her friends’ husbands are as thoughtful as I am. She should be glad she married me instead of Don!

Pride.

Friend: Joe, I really appreciate this. Nobody else was willing to help me out, and I could’ve lost my house. You’re so generous!

Joe: (to himself) Well, those guys are pretty selfish. A real Christian helps those in need.

Pride.

I hope this is helpful (and not too far off base).

Peace,
Dante

 

[AaronsStaff]

Im talking more about in the realm of spiritual pride. I find pride being a big obstacle when I am trying to become holier. I still dont understand when it becomes a mortal sin though. By the way I am a scrupulous individual, and I just finished watching Fr. John Corapi’s show on pride vs humility, so as you can imagine im having a panic attack over this. Im also talking about situations like if Im watching the news and some pro-abortion activist comes on and starts bashing the pro-life movement, Ill get angry and have some feelings of pride, like “At least im not as bad as this person.” Or if im more interested in winning a theological argument with someone for the sake of winning than trying to be charitable and open them up to the truth. Would these cases be gravely sinful?

 

[Image_of_God]

Im talking more about in the realm of spiritual pride. I find pride being a big obstacle when I am trying to become holier. I still dont understand when it becomes a mortal sin though. By the way I am a scrupulous individual, and I just finished watching Fr. John Corapi’s show on pride vs humility, so as you can imagine im having a panic attack over this. Im also talking about situations like if Im watching the news and some pro-abortion activist comes on and starts bashing the pro-life movement, Ill get angry and have some feelings of pride, like “At least im not as bad as this person.” Or if im more interested in winning a theological argument with someone for the sake of winning than trying to be charitable and open them up to the truth. Would these cases be gravely sinful?

You are the same as me! I find my pride to be just annoying. They could be gravely sinful, but if you don’t know something it is not a sin.

 

[ElizabethPH]

Im talking more about in the realm of spiritual pride. I find pride being a big obstacle when I am trying to become holier. I still dont understand when it becomes a mortal sin though. By the way I am a scrupulous individual, and I just finished watching Fr. John Corapi’s show on pride vs humility, so as you can imagine im having a panic attack over this. Im also talking about situations like if Im watching the news and some pro-abortion activist comes on and starts bashing the pro-life movement, Ill get angry and have some feelings of pride, like “At least im not as bad as this person.” Or if im more interested in winning a theological argument with someone for the sake of winning than trying to be charitable and open them up to the truth. Would these cases be gravely sinful?

I looked up pride in the Catholic Encyclopedia; it is a short article hope it’s helpful.
newadvent.org/cathen/12405a.htm

 

[AaronsStaff]

This article helped, thanks elizabeth. I think im being over scrupulous on this, but then again I naturally have doubts, I honestly dont think I seriously entertained these thoughts. (they may not have been pride at all)

 

[Antoine]

The human individual gets thousands of thoughts a day. One is not responsible of these thoughts unless he dwells on them, enjoying them, and accepting them as his own.
All you need to do when you get a sin of pride thought, discard it as fast as you can, and say a prayer, our Father or a Hail Mary.
To sin , one must will the sin, otherwise it is not sin. Also dwelling on it, and enjoying it may also become a sin.

 

[Abiien]

I have a few things for you, and hope to God that they are helpful

In order for a sin to be mortal, it must meet three conditions:

Mortal sin is a sin of grave matter
Mortal sin is committed with full knowledge of the sinner
Mortal sin is committed with deliberate consent of the sinner

-saintaquinas.com/mortal_sin.html

In most cases people are aware of their pride before it happens, prior knowledge definitely increases the liability of you and your sins. Mortal and Veniality.

It is not a sin if you do not have full knowledge of what you are doing at the time and consented to it in the beginning if it just happened because you are unwise in this aspect, then no it couldn’t be a mortal sin: How could you have Known!?
Pride when connected with full knowledge and ‘deliberate consent’ is mostly a mortal sin. Newadvent.org speaks of it in simple terms: Pride is nothing but an over love of ones own excellence. It is just you saying you are better than God by honoring yourself. What you should ask yourself is ‘Would I be possible doing this without God?’ and the answer will always be no, no matter what. For many reasons … (newadvent.org/cathen/12405a.htm) …

‘Vainglory, ambition, and presumption’ are the most common sins like pride (they said it was like branches of pride), and they are considered venial sins (if in excess, i think), according to new advent.

VaingloryBoastful, unwarranted pride in one’s accomplishments or qualities.
(answers.com/vainglory)
AmbitionAn eager or strong desire to achieve something, such as fame or power.
(answers.com/ambition)
PresumptionAcceptance or belief based on reasonable evidence; assumption or supposition.
(answers.com/presumption)

Pride isn’t something to be proud of! I think if there is anything i could say that i hope you learn from is… You will learn how to overcome this, and until then, ask God for strength and to learn about it and help him to ‘deliver you from evil’.

This could have all just been gibberish to you, or just repetition or boring or what not, but I mean good and hope it makes sense.

Godbless!
-Chris

 

[DanteAlighieri]

Im talking more about in the realm of spiritual pride. I find pride being a big obstacle when I am trying to become holier. I still dont understand when it becomes a mortal sin though. By the way I am a scrupulous individual, and I just finished watching Fr. John Corapi’s show on pride vs humility, so as you can imagine im having a panic attack over this. Im also talking about situations like if Im watching the news and some pro-abortion activist comes on and starts bashing the pro-life movement, Ill get angry and have some feelings of pride, like “At least im not as bad as this person.” Or if im more interested in winning a theological argument with someone for the sake of winning than trying to be charitable and open them up to the truth. Would these cases be gravely sinful?

You remind me of Ned Flanders (from The Simpsons) saying, “I’m meek…but I could be meeker”.

You are recognizing involuntary tendencies toward pride, which is the first step toward mastering them. Above all else, don’t beat yourself up over it. If these things occur to you without your summoning them, it’s not a mortal sin – until you indulge the thoughts.

You seem eager not to pat yourself on the back, but you must also be eager not to condemn yourself for the slightest little foible. These tendencies to sin are present in every human being – that’s why we have the Sacraments, and in particular the Eucharist: to cleanse us of venial sin and to strengthen us against mortal sin.

Peace,
Dante

 

[gradstud35]

Isn’t that the funny thing about pride and arrogance? Almost all of us don’t realize we are committing it? That’s the catch 22!! I was thinking about that on the way to confession yesterday. It’s so easy to see it in someone else but hard to recognize it in yourself. The best thing is to ask someone else.

 

[jdnation]

I recall reading something, I believe it was by CS Lewis, about how sometimes while in prayer or otherwise the devil will come to confound us by making us wonder to ourselves if we’re behaving too proud or questioning whether we are truly praying and placing on ourselves all sorts of doubts as to the genuinity of our faith. And once these doubts occur it really does become problematic to truly pray and open ourselves up to God.

The only defense against this is to realize what we are doing and simply to laugh out loud at ourselves because of the absurdity of it all!

Basically, don’t dwell too much on it. Simply continue as you are and pray for the gift of proper discernment to know the things you ought to be proud of, and the areas where pride is not owed to you or encourages you to do something sinful.

Pride is an emotion that God has created like joy, sorrow and anger, and so there are times when it is right to feel any of these. God certainly does!

 

[StCsDavid]

Im having a little trouble understanding pride, and when it is a mortal sin. Sometimes I may have thoughts of pride that sort of creep up on me and fester for a while, but I dont notice them, but once I do I try to get them out of my head. Would this be a sin, if Im not trying to boast or think highly of myself in my thoughts, but the thoughts come anyway? Pride has never really been outward actions with me, but mostly thoughts most of which just pop into my head un-noticed. Im trying hard and praying that these thoughts and attitude go away. I also want to know when pride becomes a mortal sin. I know mortal sins cant be commited accidentally, so im asking, for a mortal sin of pride, is there a moment where you give into temptation and commit the sin of pride if so how?

I would say that we should all strive to live our faith the way Father Ragheed Aziz Ganni demonstrated to his friend, a Muslim Professor. You can read his story here.

Father Ragheed…pray for us.