The Sin of Pride and the Slippery Slope to Self-Righteousness

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There is another thread concerning what we as indivicuals find most difficult about living the Christian life. Pride is definitely it for me and it seems that a lot of other sins flow out of it. In other words, once we think we know best, we can rationalize pretty much anything. I find myself constantly thinking I’m better than others - many times in stupid, silly ways. Like in the elevator in the building where I work. I get so annoyed when we have to stop on other floors - “I need to go to 5 and that’s where we should go first” type of thing. This is really easy to do in almost any kind of situation where you’re in line or in traffic (“hurry up you stupid…, I’m in a hurry”). But it gets worse, especially talking about anything controversial. Clearly I am right and so you are wrong - and the next thing you know, you win the prize for self-righteous person of the day. This really, really bothers me and I pray about it (thankfully, when I’m open to it the Lord gives me little insights - sometimes big insights). Yet I need to pray more because I keep on doing it!

My question: anybody else out there with this problem (okay, we all have it to a degree but anyone who wants to talk about it)? Any suggestions?
 
Hi Koda,

Nice to “meet” you.

Boy, this one is very subtle isn’t it?

In addition to some of the things you describe (that traffic one really hits home) I often feel that wounded pride is quite a danger. This often takes the form of getting angry if I am being corrected, or even worse, if I am feel unjustly** blamed** for something (whether I think the blame itself is unjustified or the level or manner of being blamed is not as charitable as it could be). My pride immediately become wounded, and like a small child I will lose my temper.

Sigh. :tsktsk:
How different I act from Our Lord and His followers.

VC
 
I used to be so like you described. Like being put on hold on the phone! Grrrrrr!!!

Nowadays I carry a rosary and usually a book. I read in queues or waiting rooms. When I make a phonecall where I might get put on hold I have my book handy then too.

When people in front of me make a fuss or have me waiting while they dither about, I smile at the shop attendent to let her know I am not annoyed at her.

I guess I’ve learned not to get annoyed about the things I have no control over. It’s better for my blood pressure too.

Another area I used to get angry was in traffic (road rage). Since I hung a rosary on my interior mirror I have become a more laid-back courteous driver, since it would reflect badly on Catholics if I weren’t. :rotfl:
 
Verbum Caro:
Hi Koda,

Nice to “meet” you.

Boy, this one is very subtle isn’t it?

In addition to some of the things you describe (that traffic one really hits home) I often feel that wounded pride is quite a danger. This often takes the form of getting angry if I am being corrected, or even worse, if I am feel unjustly** blamed** for something (whether I think the blame itself is unjustified or the level or manner of being blamed is not as charitable as it could be). My pride immediately become wounded, and like a small child I will lose my temper.

Sigh. :tsktsk:
How different I act from Our Lord and His followers.

VC
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Ah, yes, wounded pride. I can get defensive in a nano-second.

And road rage - I live in Los Angeles!
 
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koda:
Ah, yes, wounded pride. I can get defensive in a nano-second.
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Ditto. I am about to read Story of a Soul which I have just glanced at up til now. Wow! No wonder the Little Flower is such a powerful saint. She sure got this one beat in a nano-second, even if it did take her a couple of years.
 
Guilty as charged!!!

I pray for this sin every single day.

It seems I think I’m the smartest, always right, best looking, best driving most pious person on the face of the earth.

Watch “The Song of Bernadette”. I’m the nun near the end of the movie. You will cry, I did, and I’m a grown man.

Just pray for humility. I do.
 
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koda:
There is another thread concerning what we as indivicuals find most difficult about living the Christian life. Pride is definitely it for me and it seems that a lot of other sins flow out of it. In other words, once we think we know best, we can rationalize pretty much anything. I find myself constantly thinking I’m better than others - many times in stupid, silly ways. Like in the elevator in the building where I work. I get so annoyed when we have to stop on other floors - “I need to go to 5 and that’s where we should go first” type of thing. This is really easy to do in almost any kind of situation where you’re in line or in traffic (“hurry up you stupid…, I’m in a hurry”). But it gets worse, especially talking about anything controversial. Clearly I am right and so you are wrong - and the next thing you know, you win the prize for self-righteous person of the day. This really, really bothers me and I pray about it (thankfully, when I’m open to it the Lord gives me little insights - sometimes big insights). Yet I need to pray more because I keep on doing it!

My question: anybody else out there with this problem (okay, we all have it to a degree but anyone who wants to talk about it)? Any suggestions?
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Koda, were you reading my mind? It’s funny that you mentioned the elevator scenario because I feel the same way. I even find myself secretly hoping that no one will get on so that I can go straight to my floor without having to stop or make “small talk”. I feel horrible even writing that! I couldn’t agree with you more - pride definitely seems to be deep rooted in many of my sins.

As for suggestions, I try to read the Fruit of the Lord’s Spirit everday (Galatians 5:22-23) and even keep it posted by my desk at work. When I feel myself becoming impatient or irritable (I struggle with anger issues) I stop and read it.
 
I have also struggled a great deal with pride. I am learning the link between suffering and pride, and offering our sufferings and inconveniences for others (even standing in line, being in a traffic jam, stopping at every floor on the elevator).

Awhile back while praying at Eucharistic Adoration, I was reading a book of letters written to a fellow priest, encouraging Perpetual Adoration at his parish. Msgr. Pepe was the author of these letters that are so enlightening. He wrote: “Pride focuses on who we are apart from Christ. Humility shows our infinite value in Christ, redeemed in His Blood, covered with His Love. Then we are most secure.”

He also wrote “This is why God allows suffering in our life. Like medicine it cures us from the illness of pride. Only when our heart has been broken, or crushed, or defeated, or humiliated, or is suffering in any way, can we experience the full sweetness of His love. For He is The Most Broken One of All.”

Archbishop Fulton Sheen also offers great wisdom: “All suffering endured with love of God profits our families and even the world.” And also: “It is not so much the trials and sufferings that make [life] unbearable; it is how we react to the sufferings. If the trial is regarded as the canceling out of the ego and its pleasures, it begets an inferno within; if it is regarded as permitted by God for a greater good, it can positively create an inner joy.”

When St. Paul wrote “It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me,” he is stating what me all must strive for: To let go of our own idea of self and what we “deserve”, and giving up all for Jesus.

Easier said than done…
 
Pride is the sin of giving glory to ourselves when it should be given to God. We are all guilty. It is a manifestation of ego. A big problem as I see it is teaching our kids to have ‘self-esteme’ way out of proportion to any accomplishment. Is this not teaching pride? I am not saying do not give our children any reward for doing well, just that we should not over emphasise. We should teach our children that the good they do is because God is in them, and they are making him happy.–nicolo
 
I would like to offer a bit of an alternative view on this (sorry for going against the tide).

Sometimes self righteousness is important. For example, there are plenty of pro-choice people out there saying that abortion is ok. I am pro-life and say that abortion is not ok. I’m not about to say that our views are equally valid for the sake of not being self righteous. I’m right and they are wrong and that’s just the way it is. I wouldn’t be a very good Catholic if I believed anything different. We have to correct the errors of others.

As for teaching assertiveness and self esteem. Basically we just need a balance. Sure, it’s good to be curteous, to let people in front of you and not complain when they get in your way, to be patient with others, to empathise with them and to understand when their needs are more important than yours at the present time. But on the other hand, it’s not good to let people trample all over you so that you end up being treated really unfairly. Sometimes you need to stick up for yourself and say, hey I’m a person too! You are important but so am I.

In the same way, it’s good to be humble rather than boasting about how great and important you are all the time. But I have had a problem with being, in a way, too humble - or a better way of putting it would be to say that I had low self esteem. Basically I didn’t think highly of myself at all, never put any value on my achievements or anything. I could always see good in others but could never see good in myself. As a result I often became depressed. We need to teach children to value themselves as well as teaching them to value others.
 
Great thread! Recently I’ve become sharply aware of Pride, how insidious, how deep-seeded it is in our society, in the human condition. I vaguely remember reading/hearing somewhere that most of the strong temptations which come to us: lust, envy, greed, wrath etc. are enacted by lesser demons, but *Pride, *wherever Pride rears its ugly head… that is Satan himself. If you truly examine yourself, you’ll see that he is much more subtle than his minions, and far more damaging. In fact, the one sin that can not be forgiven, blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:28-9), that’s pure pride, too proud to seek forgiveness; that’s the Devil’s masterpiece.

To anyone who struggles with pride, I recommend praying the Litany of Humility, I’ve found it to be a powerful antidote to this prime sin. Of course, a firm devotion to Our Lady is the greatest cure for pride, as her perfect example of positive humility is unsurpassed among any creature on earth or in heaven.

I also read an excellent and enlightening essay the other day by the famous G.K. Chesterton, called Pride, the Sin of Lucifer. I highly recommend reading it!

As for anyone who is afraid of being *too humble, *there is no such thing as too much humility. Do not let a fear of becoming ‘a doormat’ become an excuse to hang on to pride! If you’re allowing yourself to be ‘trampled on by others’ as a result of your humility, it’s not that you’re ‘too humble,’ but lack either proper charity for yourself or justice and the fortitude to enforce it. Jesus commanded us to 'love our neighbour as ourselves.’ Humility is a virtue, and you can never have too much of a virtue. But virtues can be abused if they are isolated, not supported by other virtues. Humility without charity and justice can become negative.

One vice is enough to sink you in the ocean of sin, but it takes a family of virtues to swim to shore. Thank God we have His grace in the Holy Spirit to keep us afloat! 😃
 
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Flopfoot:
But I have had a problem with being, in a way, too humble - or a better way of putting it would be to say that I had low self esteem. Basically I didn’t think highly of myself at all, never put any value on my achievements or anything. I could always see good in others but could never see good in myself. As a result I often became depressed. We need to teach children to value themselves as well as teaching them to value others.
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I think what we need to remember is that we have great value in God’s eyes, because we are His children. He loves us and He created us for a special purpose on this earth – that should give us all the “self-esteem” we need (I really don’t like that word).

There is nothing we can do that is of any good without Him. Any talents we have, we owe to Him. Any good thoughts or actions are sparked by the Holy Spirit.

Pride tells us we do these things on our own. Humility tells us we do these things only when we cooperate with the grace of God.
 
Hello Koda,

At the end of your post, you asked, “any suggestions?”

I think each one of us can identify with having experienced some form of pride, but I think you are asking how to conquer it. There is a good recommendation from St. John of the Cross, and I think if we put a lot of his advice to practice, we would find humility growing gradually in its place.

catholictreasury.info/Ascent/asc14.htm
Section 6.
Strive always to prefer, not that which is easiest, but that which is most difficult;
Not that which is most delectable, but that which is most unpleasing;
Not that which gives most pleasure, but rather that which gives least;
Not that which is restful, but that which is wearisome;
Not that which is consolation, but rather that which is disconsolateness;
Not that which is greatest, but that which is least;
Not that which is loftiest and most precious, but that which is lowest and most despised;
Not that which is a desire for anything, but that which is a desire for nothing;
Strive to go about seeking not the best of temporal things, but the worst.
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Hard sayings, huh? http://forum.catholic.com/images/smilies/ani/whistle.gif
But I believe they are so very wise. After we think about it a little while, maybe we can share examples of adopting a few of these.

Carole
 
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nico1089:
Pride is the sin of giving glory to ourselves when it should be given to God. We are all guilty. It is a manifestation of ego. A big problem as I see it is teaching our kids to have ‘self-esteme’ way out of proportion to any accomplishment. Is this not teaching pride? I am not saying do not give our children any reward for doing well, just that we should not over emphasise. We should teach our children that the good they do is because God is in them, and they are making him happy.–nicolo
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The same is true with politicans, porn stars, gays and lesbians and celebs, which is why me and my wife hate them–they’re always wanting glory for themselves and never for our hevenly father, always wanting a pat on the back. Which is why they have no place in the church when it comes to their greedy pride.
 
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