Pride is a sin we so often see as the proverbial speck in our peer’s eyes while allowing it to become the log in our own. In his chapter on pride, Os Guinness surfaced areas in where I struggle with this vice in my own life. I found quotes from C.S. Lewis, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, and James Taylor’s 8th and 13th Acts of Humility to be particularly eye opening.
While reading the chapter I often found myself comparing my self-perceived relationship with pride to other’s public relationship with this vice. I realized that I was in a prideful competition, the competition for most humble! I think this is the most common area in my life where I allow pride to rear its ugly head. For this reason, one of C.S. Lewis’s quotes made a great impact
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At first, I wasn’t sure if I agreed with this theory of Lewis’s, however, the more I thought about it the more it made sense. All the other vices stem from the conscious …show more content…
1-24). I do not believe that this is a significant area of affliction in my life, however, I can think of occasions when I’ve exercised false humility and, looking back through the mirror of this quote, I find those situations to be quite foolish. It’s funny, false humility is something we all hate and most of us can see right through, however, when it comes to judging the action in ourselves, like with the many different manifestations of pride, we think we wear its mask well.
Of James Taylor’s Acts of Humility, two caught my attention – numbers 8 and 13. Number 8 says “Secure a good name to thyself by living virtuously and humbly… but do not thou at all use it, but as an instrument to do God glory, and thy neighbor more advantage” (Guinness, pg. 1-29). Making a respected name for myself is something that has always been emphasized in my family. However, while the theoretical motivation was to have a reputable witness for God, I have never given time to contemplate that my true, and sinful, motivation was how a respected name could be used to my
Pride is something that is essential in human life. Due to pride, we are able to see the joys
Pride frequently has terrible results. For example, as a result of Brothers pride, he left Doodle in the storm. Brother did this because he is angry that Doodle failed, and that his dream of having an “ordinary brother” is over. Doodle realizes that he failed his brother, and feels useless. In addition, after being left in the downpour, Doodle dies. At the point when Brother discovers Doodle dead, he thinks it’s his fault that Doodle dies because he pushed him too hard. After this happens, their family feels like they should’ve been more protective and love Doodle more. In conclusion, while pride can have devastating effects, it can also result in fulfillment.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than Kings and Governments.” The same can be said about the pride of the major characters in the epic story “The Saga of the Volsungs” (translated by Jesse L. Byock). Every prominent figure, from Sigi, to the last sons of Gudrun, suffers from his/her own pride. Pride causes a rippling effect that leads to jealousy, betrayal, and revenge throughout the epic. A hero’s own excessive pride leads to his own jealousy if challenged, or leads to the jealousy of others who do not have as much wealth and power.
Sullivan would agree with me, because he states, “[humility] provides students with an extreme valuable disposition toward the world, toward intellectual work, and toward the production of meaning and value in their lives.” In this quote, he shows that humility is important in making people who they are, much like character. I agree that humility is important. It is the ability to focus less on ourselves and more on others. In the process of humility, you must also remain humble and open-minded. I have learned that being involved in my community and helping others also benefits me because it builds my character and provides me with a feeling of accomplishment and success. For example, I am currently working with an amazing organization that works with men and women going through breast cancer and/or chemotherapy, called the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC). Over the past fifteen years with this group, I have been able to give myself to them by representing them at various events around Pennsylvania and have also donated hats made of t-shirts for the men and women going through chemotherapy. Through this organization, I have truly learned the importance of success and accomplishment through the giving of
A character that the reader would not expect to demonstrate the sin of pride is Reverend Hale. Although Reverend Hale is a minister, he demonstrates the sin of pride from the moment he first arrives in Salem, Massachusetts and needs help unloading all of his books. This symbolizes that he is a very educated man, normally this would not be considered a sin, but it is what he replied as Reverend Parris was helping him with the books, he said “They must be; they are weighted with authority.”(Miller36) this shows that he thinks that he is better than other people simply because he has more knowledge. Another example of his pride is when he gives his speech on incubi and succubi at Betty’s bed side
Being prideful can be very easy. It's natural to think that you are superior, and that you can do everything. However, this is not always correct, and sometimes pride can lead to negative effects. These instances are shown vividly through the short stories, “To Build a Fire,” and “The Scarlet Ibis.” In the end of these stories, the main character’s pride caused regret, or even death. In”To Build a Fire,” by Jack London and “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst, the authors both conveyed the common theme that pride can have negative consequences.
“Pride is a wonderful terrible thing, a vine that bears both life and death.”, this quote is from “The Scarlet Ibis”, and the context is pride can be good and helpful or it can be bad and harmful. This is a relevant quote because it shows pride is a good and bad. This quote is like my thesis because pride can be good. Therefore, pride is an attractive trait to possess because it drives a person to accomplish tasks; proud of personal achievements and motivates us to help others success.
“My intentions were to acquire the Habitude of all these virtues, I judg’d it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once, but to fix it one of them at a time, and when I should be master of that, then proceed to another, and so on till I should have gone thro’ the thirteen” (Franklin 93). He believes that if he masters all of these virtues that he will become the perfect individual. If humility is the thirteenth one, than it must be the most important one in his life, or at least a closure to a perfect lifestyle. He made a book in which he allotte...
When it comes to pride, when do we know that we have too much? A perfect example of having too much pride lies in the Greek tragedy, Antigone. In my opinion, it is the perfect example because the main character, Creon, is dealing with all the things that are happening because of Antigone’s decision to go against his law and many people are telling him that he is wrong, but he is too confident in his own choice that nothing bad will happen.
Thesis Statement: About Thirteen years ago, Ray Lewis a Baltimore Ravens linebacker was involved in an disagreement outside a nightclub in Atlanta where Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar were stabbed to death. Ray Lewis and his fellow associates left the scene. With blood found on his white suit Lewis would later be blamed for the murder charges of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar while pleading guilty to a misdemeanor.
The protection of pride can lead to dangerous actions. You don’t have t o look further than everyday arguments that hurt friendships. While this is example on the larger scale, there are some examples on a much smaller scale. In “The Scarlet Ibis” James Hurst uses the setting and the conflict to show that protecting pride can influence dangerous actions.
Webster defines pride as a “proud behavior or treatment; insolence; arrogance; distain” (Webster’s, 1939). Being proud is acceptable, even good, to a certain extent. Having pride in the way you look, your handwriting, or something you take seriously. People take pride in the little things that are personal and loved individually. Being a little prideful can lead to confidence; however people often mistake arrogance (an exaggerated pride) for confidence. Prideful people seek to prove their superiority in every aspect of their lives Roth provides the reader with a vivid illustration of this exaggerated pride. The initiates in her novel are supplied with multiple opportunities to st...
vanity, pride, and self - knowledge intervenes in the development of the virtue of the characters,
Pride is not a bad attribute to have, it is actually very important. One definition for pride is: A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect. Self respect is a very good quality to have, however, there’s such thing as too much of a good thing. This is especially the case if you are a hero in a Greek play that has too much pride. Pride is the most central flaw in Greek tragedy, even in heroes. In the plays “Antigone” and “The Odyssey”, Antigone’s and Odysseus’ pride causes them unnecessary problems that could have been easily avoided if they had just kept their pride in check.
In 1297AD, pride was described as “A consciousness or feeling of what is befitting or due to oneself or one's position, which prevents a person from doing what he considers to be beneath him or unworthy of him; esp. as a good quality, legitimate, ‘honest’, or ‘proper pride’, self-respect; also as a mistaken or misapplied feeling, ‘false pride’” (OED 4). This type of pride is personal pride and the image a person must maintain to keep it. A person cannot allow them self to act in such a way that would be demeaning. An example of this would be a drill sergeant getting down with his recruits and performing the same demeaning drills as they are. The sergeant’s years of hard work and service would not be taken seriously if he were to lower himself to the level of their recruits therefore lowering his sense of pride.