Pride is really sort of a controversial topic. We are warned against pride, like we will become our own Mr. Hyde if we take any enjoyment in what we are about, or what we do of our own free will. Yet people also say that there is a problem with people having low self esteem.
The popular view of pride makes no sense to me really. A lot of the old aphorisms are held as true, and yet when I look at the evidence, I see people falling anyway who are quite humble in everyone’s reckoning. Their lives aren’t more peaceful for it. They tend rather to be sort of disconnected, and at other times it even leads to a serious case of resentment.
Some are proud to be humble? Oh indeed, I dare say down right arrogant in “being humble”. They get seriously holier than thou, and attack those who might want something more, or who might believe that they can do something big in the world. The Wright brothers were humble, but nor were they arrogant. I dare say they did have pride in their knowledge of engineering as far as that went, and were proud to be trying to do something even though everyone else said it was stupid. Did their pride go before a fall? Edison was working on a light bulb for a very long time, and was a very proud man. He liked inventing.
They thought Einstein was mad didn’t they? Well originally yes. In his home town he was considered weird, and sort of stupid, and yet that didn’t bother Einstein much. Einstein liked what he was thinking about. He was fascinated, and he was not in the least bit ashamed. Did he himself have any great fall?
He never accepted quantum mechanics, which is a shame. He was bothered by quantum mechanics, but he didn’t reject it either. He just didn’t like it. Einstein saw quantum mechanics in the Bible, and it is in the Bhagavad Gita also. Jung saw these things, but Jung was about the mind and not directly about physics, and Jung was proud of his actions.
Shame is a big people controller? Oh indeed, and it’s wielded by the arrogant.
Perhaps a discussion of pride is three different things? Perhaps four.
One being what the Greeks called huberous. The pride that is false and says that we can do anything we want, but we can do it with out anyone else. Yes, it differs qualitatively in many ways.
That is not possible really; we stand on the shoulders of our ancestors always. Yes, we are born of, we are not self aborning.
The next type of pride is self esteem. Necessary to each of us for healthy living.
The last is arrogance, which may be the same as huberous in a way.
Then humility, which doesn’t deny pride. Humility is a clinging to the simple. It’s admitting what is, and then shame. Shame and humility are not the same, nor are pride and hubris. One can be humble and have pride, but hubris is what goes before shame.
Shame is toxic. Oh it is, and it is what motivates hubris. My ambition is not enough, I must do something to prove I am great. Doing a thing for itself is not enough, I must exalt my ego and make sure everyone knows me. This is hubris, and does bring one to shame again.
It is a vicious cycle. Pride says “I can help”. Hubris says “I’m in control”. Humility says “I am not alone in this”. Shame says “I’m so alone, nobody exalted me, and I have no laurels to rest on”. They fall as did Icarus, and not because it’s wrong to fly. It is true, and thou are that. Want to be great in this world? Fine, though art that, but you aren’t alone. The life saving doctor is the life saving doctor unless he forgets that he isn’t alone. If he forgets, he will cut flesh carelessly. Hubris leading to death, and great shame there. It doesn’t mean he should not have confidence in his knowledge. Pride that he did what it took to become a doctor.
Or she. True, or she. In fact, there is some fall out in that area, low self esteem in girls, even young women, and it isn’t necessary. Wisdom says that a woman can be proud without competition, yet something goes about in our society that makes our young women feel they have to prove themselves.
That stems from unnecessary competition don’t you think? With males? Yes, it is hubris.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~