Pride in Humanity has Led to the Downfall of Many

Pride or hubris is part of the warp and woof of the human experience. From Satan (picture) and the Tower of Babel (picture) in the Judeo-Christian tradition to Achilles (picture) and Icarus (picture) in the Greco-Roman tradition, pride has led to the downfall of many and the suffering of countless.

Pride is no less a problem in contemporary society than it was for the ancients. In particular, it is no less a problem for lawyers, who can oftentimes be put in positions of power and be rewarded with large sums of money. Recently, one Houston-based lawyer had a struggle with pride. He lost and with devastating result. This Houston-based lawyer had scored success after success in the courtroom, garnering a large cliental with ever larger pocketbooks. He purchased a large house in a prestigious part of town, owned his own private jet, drove fancy cars, and treated himself to lavish parties and dinners. Perhaps he was something close to a modern day Gatsby.

Yet, this taste of success created a ravenous and seemingly insatiable desire for something more, something greater. And, so, this lawyer decided that it was not enough to simply have an influence within the courtroom. Rather, he also had to be on the most prestigious boards so that he could influence what went on outside of the courtroom as well. In order to get on one particularly important committee, the requirement was that a lawyer had to have at least 30,000 clients. This lawyer found himself in a quandary; at the time, he only had 200.

This lawyer’s thirst for more power and more success overshadowed his judgment. And, so, he began to try to gain more clients by using a “runner,” a party not licensed to practice law. That was his first major error, as using a...

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...ow on the Honesty-Humility scale were, not surprisingly, more inclined to engage in immoral business decisions (Put citation in PP in the proper format: Links to Moral Disengagement and Unethical Bussiness Decisions. European Journal of Personality. Nov/Dec2013, Vol. 27 Issue 6, p. 532), which, again, can led people like lawyers into a great deal of trouble.

Not only does humility make these lawyers better at their job overall, but it also makes them more cautious in the practice of law according to the above study (pg 91. Cite again in short form). Our friend could have certainly learned a lesson from these high scoring attorneys. It is most likely too late for him. It’s not too late for us, though. And, so, as we carry forward in this trek to obtain our law licenses, let us not forget our friend in the story, and let us not forget to be humble.