What does pride really mean?

[redrosetea]

proud to be an american
proud parents of an honor student
i’m proud of teammates for winning the game
taking pride in my work

i can’t see these being sinful

also…
if i buy a new outfit, i’m wearing it so that i look good because i want to be happy with myself and how people see me. i also like to record music, not only because i enjoy music and like to hear it, but also so that other people can hear it and it would make me happy that i can show off my talents.

is there another definition that makes pride sinful?
or should i drastically chnage my lifestyle?

When we choose to flaunt God’s laws we are saying God I will not serve…this was the sin of Lucifer…We must humble ourselves to the will of God, and not try to live just to please ourelves

Don’t mix up self respect with arrogance there is a differnce

 

[Newbie2]

I like your attitude and your heart is beyond a battle; but I have to differ on what sinful pride is. Tell me if you disagree? Sinful pride is when i look above you; it is looking down on another. It is not the loud and boastful - ussually they are begging for attention, they (in a poor way) want communion with us - it is the person who believes he needs not to be in your comany. He isn’t bragadoious because he cares nothing for you; you are nothing. He is the snob with no desire for your approval because you arre nothing. He will take your girl friend not for a desire but to prove to himself how much above you he is.
It is a a virtue to have pride. You are made in the image of God. You should holler when you achieve something. Not “I am better than you” but “look at what I ‘a child of God’ have done, and I feel good about myself.”

I’m not sure what you’re saying (red highlight).

Yes, I agree.

 

[antonabe]

I am sure those of you who are American are proud of being an American but there are others in this World who are less privilleged,maybe poorer,but who believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings.Looking down on these less fortunate bretheren will also fall into the category of pride.All believers of Jesus Christ who belong to the Mystical body of Christ are proud to be Members and this should come above the National pride which could separate us.My belief is that looking down on less fortunate beings is also Sinful pride.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

I am sure those of you who are American are proud of being an American but there are others in this World who are less privilleged,maybe poorer,but who believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings.Looking down on these less fortunate bretheren will also fall into the category of pride.All believers of Jesus Christ who belong to the Mystical body of Christ are proud to be Members and this should come above the National pride which could separate us.My belief is that looking down on less fortunate beings is also Sinful pride.

What does that have to do with pride as an American? There is no implication that such pride means you look down upon those less fortunate.

I think Italians should also be proud to be Italian, Japanese proud to be Japanese, Irish to be Irish, etc.

 

[benedict_XVIII]

I agree with most of what has been written.
I’m not sure I know everything about pride.
Certainly pride is, as you guys said, when one is too sure of himself and will not bend even before God.
When one thinks he doesn’t need God because he knows better than Him.
But maybe humility is also this:
not that being humble should mean that anyone can tread upon you.
A humble Christian should not be like a mattress on which anyone can jump.
Monks used to say: “Know yourself”
Hence, perhaps humility is when you give yourself the exact value you have.
When you look into yourself all the time to see yourself as you are, with your pluses and your minuses.
Do you agree with this?
At least, that’s what I always do.
After all, even St. Paul in one of his letters boasted about the feats he had accomplished.
Is there anything wrong with that?
He was not pretending he had accomplished something that he had not.
He had actually accomplished what he was saying. He was being HONEST.
Be honest about yourself and you will be humble.
Do you agree with this?

 

[Hamlet123]

I’m not sure what you’re saying (red highlight).

Yes, I agree.

Poor grammer on my part. I ment it (pride) is looking down on another.

BTW, the two grreat commandments are Love the Lord your God… and your neighbor…

and in another place the Scriptures say, “If you have done these things for these (people) you’ve done them for me”

Now consider:
The way, the method, the “to do” to love God is to love our neigbor and as a result we kill two birds with one stone. We love our neighbor and we love God. This method solves the problem of loving what me may feel is difficult: God, who may appear a bit cold and “out there.” Reality is our neighbor.

Next think: If I believe I am above another, and I look down on another; If I consider someone to be of no significance; haven’t I established my relationship with God in the same fashion. And when one says that pride is turning one’s back on God, aren’t these charactoristics verification for that rejection of God. What I am saying is, pride is rejecting anyone and as a result rejecting God.

All human being are ontologically magnificant; to dis just one person is to dis God. I believe Lewis was right, pride is the worse of all sins. In essence pride IS rejection of God.

 

[Newbie2]

Poor grammer on my part. I ment it (pride) is looking down on another.

BTW, the two grreat commandments are Love the Lord your God… and your neighbor…

and in another place the Scriptures say, “If you have done these things for these (people) you’ve done them for me”

Now consider:
The way, the method, the “to do” to love God is to love our neigbor and as a result we kill two birds with one stone.
.

Thou shalt not kill.

Good post, I again agree.

 

[Hamlet123]

Thou shalt not kill.

Good post, I again agree.

Newbie2
:clapping:

 

[withwind]

I just received this in my email and thought the prayer can point to what pride really means:

Prayer of Letting Go
Lord,
That I may let go of grudges in order to forgive
That I may let go of **past hurts **so that I can be healed
That I may let go of judgments in order to accept
That I may let go of **pity **in order to be compassionate
That I may let go of greed in order to give to those in need
That I may let go of negativity in order to be positive
That I may let go of **blame **so that I can affirm
That I may let go of hate in order to love
That I may let go of control in order to serve

 

[Methodi]

A person who has no humility is a sad person indeed. When a person doesn`t have humility, as far as i am concerned he has nothing. Only my opinion

 

[Hamlet123]

A person who has no humility is a sad person indeed. When a person doesn`t have humility, as far as i am concerned he has nothing. Only my opinion

Would you agree, before this proposition can be established as true: humility and pride need to be defined, or at least deferienated?::newidea:

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Dear friend, I didn’t read all the other posts so forgive me if there’s any doubling up.
The deadly sin of pride is evil because when we do it we elevate our will above Gods. There is a quote in scripture that states this- before a an sinneth his spirit is lifted up.
I like olde english sometimes.
This is the same as saying pride comes before the sin.
We are supposed to be humble and not go above Gods will ever.
Lucifer and Adam and Eves first sins and before every personal sin any human has committed is pride.
For this reason it is a most despicable sin in Gods eyes. Perhaps the worst. Certainly the worst in some ways.

Pride in your son etc is not elevating your will above Gods necessarily and so is ok. There are many types of pride as you mention and not all are bad. Some words have many meanings. An inadequacy in our languages I suppose.
Hope this helps. God bless:thumbsup:

 

[benedict_XVIII]

Hear my personal HUMBLE insight into pride.
It is just my personal view.
Pride is very dangerous because when we die we shall have to face Judgement and during it, our life will be shown to us by Jesus.
At that ,moment, we shall not be judging like we do now as flesh and blood mortals.
We shall be pure spirit and we shall judge accordingly.
If we are proud, we risk not admitting to our faults, which will not put us in a good light in front of the Lord.

Also, the New T. says that we shall not go to Heaven unless we believe as naively as children do.
Sorry, folks, we have to be “childish”.
Remeber, Jesus said that the Gospel will enter the heart of the simple, not that of the learnt man who might perhaps feel proud of his knowledge and will want to decide himself what is good and what is bad.

 

[withwind]

May I recommend this book:

“Humility of Heart” by Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo (translated by Hertbert Cardinal Vaughan).

 

[Hamlet123]

Perhaps this will lend to the conversation. I small temperature taker:

A proposition-
“The relationship between how upset one is with another’s pride is the level of one’s own pride.” Put another way, the more upset I am with one who has pride the more pride i have.

You must rread Mere Christianity’s chapter on Pride.

 

[Methodi]

Would you agree, before this proposition can be established as true: humility and pride need to be defined, or at least deferienated?::newidea:

Did You ever meet anyone who just cant make a mistake, would never own up to it if they did, looks down on others to find fault with whatever another person does, could never say they are sorry if it meant their life. We are supposed to love ourselves, but these people take it to excess, they are full of self importance, thats my description of a person with no humility, who is full of self pride. Its ugly!

 

[Hamlet123]

:tsktsk:

Did You ever meet anyone who just cant make a mistake, would never own up to it if they did, looks down on others to find fault with whatever another person does, could never say they are sorry if it meant their life. We are supposed to love ourselves, but these people take it to excess, they are full of self importance, thats my description of a person with no humility, who is full of self pride. Its ugly!

Perhaps an exagerated version of ourselves; what do you think? Or maybe a mask they are wearing and only love can tear it off." “Don’t be fooled by me. Don’t be fooled by the face I wear. For I wear a thousand mask and none of them are me. I would take it off but in the past i was spit on, so now I protect myself and no one will ever laugh at me again.”

Fr. Lennard told me once that what we criticise others of we have a tendancy to be such as. Judge not…love your enemy…go out of your way for those who you find the most repulsive. Some find the sick and the lame, others find the proud.

 

[Methodi]

:tsktsk:

Perhaps an exagerated version of ourselves; what do you think? Or maybe a mask they are wearing and only love can tear it off." “Don’t be fooled by me. Don’t be fooled by the face I wear. For I wear a thousand mask and none of them are me. I would take it off but in the past i was spit on, so now I protect myself and no one will ever laugh at me again.”

Fr. Lennard told me once that what we criticise others of we have a tendancy to be such as. Judge not…love your enemy…go out of your way for those who you find the most repulsive. Some find the sick and the lame, others find the proud.

You may be right

 

[ready]

The opposite of pride is humility. Try googling the “Litany of Humilty” written by a holy Cardinal, whose name escapes me at the present. See if it helps you understand pride any better. It is an excellent prayer we should pray every day, if possible. I must resume praying the prayer myself, now that I think about it.