Jessica Tracey: The Power Of Pride

When one thinks of pride, one would rarely think of a modest person who devotes much of their time to volunteering and philanthropy. Typically, one would think of an arrogant politician or movie star, someone so self-absorbed that they almost entirely ignore the needs of those around them. However, even the humblest acts of virtue can arise from pride as well. Time and time again we hear the story of Icarus, the boy who became entranced with his own pride and flew too close to the sun. However, there is another story of pride we hear less often, the person who takes pride in their own humility. Rather than take pride in typical things such as wealth, prestige, or even appearance, these people take pride in their modesty and virtue. In this

Like the other deadly sins, pride can be both harmful and helpful depending on how it is used. For example, her Scientific American article “Pride and Power,” Jessica Tracey claims that pride can be divided into “hubristic pride,” a love of self that masks insecurity and promotes hostility, and “authentic pride,” a pride that promotes success and love for others. According to Tracy, while pride can be harmful and lead to bullying and dominance, it can also serve as a helpful motivator to achieve one’s goals and lead a good life. Tracy uses Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates as examples, claiming their success came not from greed or the need to improve technology, but by “a need to be the person who did it” (Tracy 1). This virtuous pride can also be seen in Ulysses (or Odysseus) from Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses.” Although the speaker of the poem is certainly guilty of pride and neglects his family to embark on his adventures, there is also a sense of nobility in his desire “to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” (Tennyson lines). Although all these men are certainly proud, even obnoxiously arrogant, it is also this pride that motivated them to achieve the things they did and better their own lives. This suggests that a virtuous form of pride taken in virtuous things, such as intelligence, innovativeness, and kindness, benefits the individual rather than destroying the value of

Recently, many social concerns have surrounded low self-esteem, especially in adolescents. This low self-esteem can lead to many problems such as bullying, self-harm, and depression. While pride is often seen as the gateway sin in that it leads to all the other six deadly sins, the lack of it can also lead to other sins. For example, while an excess of pride can lead a man to believe he is too good for work and lead him towards slothful behaviors, so can a complete lack of self-esteem cause a man to lose all sense of self-worth and motivation and lead him into despair equal to that of Fuckhead’s in Jesus’ Son. This lack of self-esteem can lead individuals to commit other sins as well. Those with low self-esteem are more likely to be bullies, leading them to wrath; they are also more likely to suffer from eating disorders, leading them to gluttony, and are even more susceptible to envy and greed since they may be envious of those they believe have more reason to feel proud than they do and may try to reinforce their self-worth with items or money. Even lust can be tied to low self-esteem as seen in Susan Minot’s short story “Lust” where the narrator tries to use sex as a form of validation and to enhance her self-worth. In these cases, self-esteem, or what Tracey would call “authentic pride,” is not only