The Bible describes pride as sin. Pride goes before destruction (Prov. 16:18), puts one in an inadequate relationship with God (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6), and definately will yield a regrettable end (Prov. 29:23). Nebuchadnezzar was judged for his proud spirit (Dan. 4), Haman was beset with pride (Esther 5), and Pharaoh fell for doing this. God intentions to humble the proud (Matt. 23:12).
Christian theologians have managed the concept of pride mainly inside the tradition of Augustine, who viewed pride because first sin and so spent plenty of his energy on discussing it. The keystone of his argument was a text in Ecclesiasticus that reads, “pride could be the beginning of sin.” The verse has later been deemed questionable in meaning. Nonetheless, on this basis Augustine proceeded to look at the fall of Satan as portrayed in Ezekiel and Isaiah as principally motivated by pride. “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty” (Ezek. 28:17, NIV). What led Satan to his fall was likewise the death in the people inside the garden of Eden. Augustine felt that pride rolling around in its extreme will be the unpardonable sin (Green, 1949). He wrote extensively about their own struggles with pride, describing becoming his greatest temptation.
The research into pride been specifically the main topic of great interest to Christians in monastic traditions and later on to the Pietists. Bernard of Clairvaux from the Steps of Humility said that people usually takes steps upward when they pursue humility; however, if they pursue pride, their steps will lead downward, following a length of Satan. Bernard points too you’ll find 12 steps that can lead one from the beginnings of pride-curiosity-to its most unfortunate expression, habitual sin. The intervening steps are frivolity, foolish mirth, boastfulness, singularity (likely to all ends to prove oneself superior), conceit, audacity, excusing of sins, hypocritical confession, defiance, and freedom to sin. The first task of pride (curiosity) could be the last step of humility (downcast eyes). The last step of pride (habitual sin) should be the first step toward true humility (the fear with the Lord).
Bernard’s outline is obviously sermonic in tone and designed being an instructive tool for aspiring monastics. Though all its medieval format, his description of pride rings true. Modern psychology won’t have much to add to his outline. Pride elevates the self, seeks to possess one’s worth identified by others, and it is unaware of obvious personal faults. The proud person has difficulty functioning interpersonally, since he / she doesn’t receive or process feedback from others in the satisfactory manner. Nor will the proud person fare well inside the task of being other-centered. Pride forms an important element in the psychological construct of narcissism.
Pride, psychologically considered, is defensive as the name indicated. By definition pride is not an fair and true estimate of self; it’s an overestimate. Therefore, the proud individual is motivated to cover up a subconscious a feeling of inferiority or is motivated to overcompensate for actual inadequacies. Pride might be portion of an ill-formed approach to social interaction; the proud person may genuinely feel their pride to be the ultimate way to managing self yet others and could be not aware of flaws that preclude the pride. Pride thrives on deference and praise from others. It could have its roots in parental overindulgence or perhaps in a credentials that created deep personal insecurities that the pride is compensating.
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