Pride is one of the seven deadly sins; humility one of the seven virtues. But it isn’t bad to have pride in the work that you do, is it? Certainly false humility can’t be good. Which one fits you best?
Pride Or Humility?
Asking — and answering — life's interesting questions
Pride is one of the seven deadly sins; humility one of the seven virtues. But it isn’t bad to have pride in the work that you do, is it? Certainly false humility can’t be good. Which one fits you best?
This is a tough one. I am proud of my friends and family, in particular I’m proud of my wife Marsha, who inspires me every day. And I think that for people with low self-esteem, having more pride in themselves is a way toward regaining confidence.
On the other hand, I also think that there are plenty of people who could stand to be more humble. In particular, I see people who assume that everything they hear and say is correct, without recognizing that they might be wrong. They could use some additional humility.
I think I’m leaning toward humility. That makes sense, because I’ve never been one for self-promotion. It’s what I struggle with at just about every job I’ve ever had. Maybe I could use a little more pride in myself and my actions.
I think we need both pride and humility – pride to motivate us and give us pleasure, and humility to recognize our limitations. It’s a constant struggle to try and find the right balance. I have found through experience the truth of the saying, “Pride goeth before a fall.” But there is also a false humility like Uriah Heep in “David Copperfield”.
Ruby, please say more about Uriah Heep. I haven’t read “David Copperfield”.
Joe Biden’s parents taught him that (paraphrasing from memory) “Joey, no one is better than you and you are better than no one.” To me, that’s humility.