The Bible describes pride as sin. Pride goes before destruction (Prov. 16:18), puts one out of an undesirable relationship with God (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6), and may 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 because of it. God intentions to humble the proud (Matt. 23:12).
Christian theologians have addressed the concept of pride mainly inside the tradition of Augustine, who viewed pride because the first sin and so spent a great deal of his energy on discussing it. The keystone of his argument was a text in Ecclesiasticus that reads, “pride will be the start of sin.” The verse has later been regarded as questionable in meaning. Nonetheless, on this basis Augustine proceeded to see december Satan as portrayed in Ezekiel and Isaiah as principally motivated by pride. “Your heart became proud because of your beauty” (Ezek. 28:17, NIV). What led Satan to his fall was likewise the downfall with the people in the garden of Eden. Augustine felt that pride in their extreme will be the unpardonable sin (Green, 1949). He wrote extensively about his own struggles with pride, describing it as being his greatest temptation.
Study regarding pride has also been the main topics great interest to Christians in monastic traditions and later on towards the Pietists. Bernard of Clairvaux within the Steps of Humility said that people may take steps upward when they pursue humility; but if they pursue pride, their steps may lead downward, following span of Satan. Bernard shows that you’ll find 12 steps that may lead one from your beginnings of pride-curiosity-to its undesirable expression, habitual sin. The intervening steps are frivolity, foolish mirth, boastfulness, singularity (gonna all ends to prove oneself superior), conceit, audacity, excusing of sins, hypocritical confession, defiance, and freedom to sin. The first step of pride (curiosity) may be the last step of humility (downcast eyes). The final step of pride (habitual sin) should be the reasons for true humility (the worry from the Lord).
Bernard’s outline is usually sermonic in tone and designed being an instructive tool for aspiring monastics. But with it’s medieval format, his description of pride rings true. Modern psychology doesn’t have much to increase his outline. Pride elevates the self, seeks to own one’s worth identified by others, which is unaware of obvious personal faults. The proud person has difficulty functioning interpersonally, since they won’t receive or process feedback from others inside a satisfactory manner. Nor does the proud person fare well inside the task of being other-centered. Pride forms a key consider the psychological construct of narcissism.
Pride, psychologically considered, is defensive anyway. By definition pride isn’t a fair and true estimate of self; it’s an overestimate. Which means the proud body’s motivated to cover up a subconscious a sense inferiority or is motivated to overcompensate for actual inadequacies. Pride could be section of an ill-formed method of social interaction; the proud person may genuinely feel his or her pride to be the most effective way to working with self yet others and could be unacquainted with flaws that preclude the pride. Pride thrives on deference and praise from others. It may have its roots in parental overindulgence or in experience that created deep personal insecurities for which the pride is compensating.
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