Archive for April, 2007

04-29-2007

Further Analysis on Pride - Vice and Virtue

I did agree with certain aspects but felt further analysis is needed just for the sake of clarifying the danger of letting Pride get the better of you. 

One need to be careful how one manage pride.

I must admit, sometimes I let pride cloud my head and I need to step back and remind myself that humility gives balance to my being.  For example, I know I’m good at what I do at my job and I know i’m the best, and I’m proud of it.  When I step back and look at myself, I realize that I went too far.  I know my co-workers are unique and they are just as good as I and in some areas they are better and in other areas I am.  We all have our pluses and minuses.  We need each other to finish the job!  

Is it possible for a deaf person’s pride of his/her deafness to get out of control?  Maybe.  It all depends on many factors. I’m not going to get into this area since I find it more productive to “nip it at the bud” so to speak (sign).

Humility is needed to keep our pride in “check”.  So that it does not lead to arrogance and other negative qualities.  One needs to be careful so that pride does not get the best of us.  Or, that one does not “get too big for his/her britches”.

“He who sacrifices a whole offering shall be rewarded for a whole offering; he who offers a burnt-offering shall have the reward of a burnt-offering; but he who offers humility to God and man shall be rewarded with a reward as if he had offered all the sacrifices in the world.”  - The Talmud

“True humility—the basis of the Christian system—is the low but deep and firm foundation of all virtues.” - Burke

Pride and “excessive pride” is not exactly the same.  Without Humility, our pride can become “excessive”, thus, becoming arrogant.  This is where Aristotle comes in, he loves pride but acknowledge that excessive pride is not good.

Some things that were said about pride:

Hubris, or “excessive pride”, was usually the defining trait that lead to the tragic hero’s tragic downfall according to ARISTOTLE.

“in his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God” - PSALM 10 Verse 4

In christianity - pride is considered one of “seven deadly sins”.

In one of famous story of Lucifer, pride was the cause of his fall from Heaven.

Inordinate self-love is the cause of every sin - AQUINAS

Narration from Muhammad(M):  M said “he in whose heart there is as much as a grain of arrogance will not enter paradise”  Man  said ” A man likes his garment to be beautiful and his sandals to be beautiful.”  M replied “god , most high, is beautiful and likes beauty; arrogance is disdaining what is true and despiseing people”.

In Taoism - “pride and greed are human errors” - TAO TE CHING

Judaism has numerous verses in Old Testament such as :
“Talk no more exceeding proudly, nor let arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” (I SAM. 2:3)

examples of pride that is positive are Pride in our job, pride in accomplishment in our life, pride in our children just because we love them, pride that we have overcome the obstacles in our life in spite of not being “Perfect” in other’s eyes, etc.

Examples of prides that refers to person/group which is really not harmful as long as one does not oppress the other,  such as deaf pride, gay pride, black pride, etc.

Examples of pride that is negative are “national pride” associated with nazi Germany, Pride that becomes so overwhelming that one starts to think one is better than another, someone who won’t give up and who refuses to settle for anything less than perfect. 

One possible way to look at this whole thing is that self esteem is good as it makes you feel good about yourself.  Humility keeps one being humble so that one does not get too “big headed” with one’s pride.  When pride gets too big, one’s ego becomes enlarged and oppression starts.  Key word is excessive, too much, etc. 

One last positive note - don’t forget to tell your child and your significant others or anyone,  how proud you are of him/her/them.  Telling people how proud you are of them is definitely GOOD! 

We all definitely need to feel good about our deafness and be proud of it.

And finally, I will end with a couple of quotes:

“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5

What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself. —Abraham Lincoln

Posted by critic in Human Behavior | 1 Comment »