Pride

[The X-Factor]

As anyone who has spent most of their pre-college life in Catholic schools can tell you, there are Seven Cardinal Virtues and there are Seven Deadly Sins. These are taught to us to instill sound moral fiber at an early age (as if the Blue Dickeys weren't bad enough to scar you for life). Without getting into the blow by blow, I recently came face to face with one of the most powerful of those sins (or personality flaws if you will) Pride. Before we take a deep dive into this emotion, let me give you non-parochial scholars a cliff notes version of what these sins and virtues are: The Seven Deadly Sins- Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride. These are some of the most basic human emotions and are said to be root cause of all questionable acts (Father Trey would be so proud). These sins (or emotions) are counteracted with seven opposite virtues (or emotions) that illustrate the proper way to live. The Seven Cardinal Virtues are: Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Forgiveness, Kindness, and Humility. If these virtues are the pathway to the "light side of the force", then the sins are the road to the "dark side".



Most of the sins listed above are of the garden variety negative emotion (it's not hard to understand how an emotion like Wrath is self-destructive), but Pride is the most enigmatic of them all. Pride refers to a strong sense of self-respect, a refusal to be humiliated as well as joy in the accomplishments of oneself or a person, group, or object that one identifies with. This emotion gives you (at times) the inter strength to accomplish great things. As many of you know, fortune often favors the bold (like pushing all of your chips into the pot with 2 overs and flush draw on the flop). We even live in a society that rewards the prideful, and dismisses the humble. Meaning, Mr. Humble Nice Guy doesn't get to sleep with the prom queen. All our lives we are taught that aggressive "alphas" are the ones that succeed in work, life, poker, and love. I can remember being told that "a pearl of great price is not attained for the asking", meaning things that are worth having aren't often given to you sometimes you have to take them. Pride (or the self-respect aspect) can be the catalyst to achieve great things because the belief in one's self is paramount to greatness (Like calling down with bottom pair because you just trust your read and know it is the best hand and then raking the pot). Can the same emotion that gives you swagger and confidence also be your undoing? In a simple answer, yes it most certainly can (seriously).



There is a reason that Pride is considered by many to the most "deadly" of all of the "deadly sins". The reason is that it is hard to control, and as with anything not in moderation it can cause you to unravel under its weight. In excess, Pride can make you foolish and you start making decisions not based on any logic but just for the sake of your own Pride. Literature has given us a wealth of examples of Pride gone wrong: In Milton's Paradise Lost- it is the Devil's pride that gets him tossed out of heaven, Othello's pride cost him everything, and Mr. Darcy's pride almost cost him Elizabeth (I took English Lit, so we had to read Austen- so please hand me back my man card…). In my experience, the mixture of one part testosterone, two parts pride, and one part crown is a cocktail for disaster. We all have seen someone implode under the foolishness that pride and principle can cause (Have you ever fired a third big bluff into the pot after being check/called twice with no regard for the texture of the flop or the type of player the other person is? If you have, that's pride brother). At times in my life, I have been that guy that has imploded. Pride is kinda like a walk-me-down (you know that fruity mixed drink with like 7 white liquors in it) by the time you figure out that you have had too much- it is much too late.



Simply put, if you allow your pride to make you foolish- pride may be all you have left when it is all said and done. While I would agree that a strong sense of self is good, remember that to be complete one must temper action with wisdom and try to be humble. It's like this: If two tigers fight over the same area or mate in the wild, one of them gets killed and the other is more than likely mortality wounded. Yes one does win, but at what cost? I wish I could say that I always make the right decision every time excess pride rears its ugly head. While I have gotten better (the older I get), I'm still not perfect and still have some room to improve in this regard. Life, poker, and golf are all not "games of perfect", so as long as you try to get better that's all you can ask……….Oh yea, and the incident that caused this little epiphany, I almost blew it (tried to donk off all of my chips with a poorly timed bluff), but she wouldn't let me…….. Till next time….

[ruken]

Pride FC ruled. Fedor Emelianenko is a beast.

[Anacardo]

IN THE NAAAAAAAAAAME OF LOVE!

WHAT MORE, IN THE NAME OF LOVE?

IN THE NAAAAAAAAAAAAME OF LOOOOOOOOOOOVE

WHAT MORE IN THE NAME OF LOVE?

[diebitter]

Pride is a tricky one.


My feeling about most if not all the Seven Deadly Sins is a little bit of them in your character is good. If they're the seasoning on your character, if you like, rather than the main body of it. I can explain and justify each of them I think by example, if there's any of them you don't think this applies to.

But pride is a tricky one. I think a little pride in your achievements/appearance/talents/whatever is a very good thing. People who care to take (non-excessive) pride in their appearance or manners or care in work are to be congratulated. The problem comes when it becomes a central feature rather than another small aspect to your personality. The only time is becomes an actual good thing is when pride allows you to operate in cases or extremes/crisis. It's probably a major and important component in successful military tacticians, for example. But even then, it's probably a bad thing for the people suffering from it whilst being a good thing for their society.


Ultimately, when you start expressing this pride out loud, it starts to turn for the worse. And when it becomes arrogance/hubris/vanity, and/or you're relying on past glories or sycophants or a position where you are lording it over underlings, then you're pretty much damned, foolish and ultimately a negative in the universe.

[flatline]

I was interested in this thread until the poker analogy.

[filsteal]

From a religious/theological perspective, doing or not doing those particular sins, pride included, has nothing to do with leading a successful life as far as society is concerned, it has to do with leading a successful life as far as God is concerned.

I'm definitely not qualified to make any kind of profound statement on these matters, but I think the distinction above needs to be made clear.

[entertainme]

[ QUOTE ]
From a religious/theological perspective, doing or not doing those particular sins, pride included, has nothing to do with leading a successful life as far as society is concerned, it has to do with leading a successful life as far as God is concerned.

I'm definitely not qualified to make any kind of profound statement on these matters, but I think the distinction above needs to be made clear.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll take this a step farther. When you look at things like the Ten Commandments or the Seven Deadly sins what is their true purpose? Most of us see them as a checklist of things not to do. While true on the surface, it's actually much deeper than that.

The purpose of these things is also to demonstrate that we're incapable of following them 100%. It's truly not within our nature. (Think of Jesus taking it a step further, "if you lust with your heart".)

Paul says in Romans 7:7-10

[ QUOTE ]
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

The greater purpose of the law is to demonstrate we literally cannot fufill it, which leaves us with no other alternative but to turn to God for redemption, (forgiveness.)

We are only able to fulfill the law if we allow him to first change our nature.

steps off soapbox

[The X-Factor]

[ QUOTE ]
I was interested in this thread until the poker analogy.

[/ QUOTE ]


LOL, last time I checked this was a poker message board.

[katyseagull]

Entertainme, X, or anyone,

Do certain churches teach that Christians don’t have to follow the 10 commandments? I've heard some Christians debating this point and I wondered if this is taught in specific denominations. The explanation to me was that the 10 commandments are part of the old Law, Christ is the new law and one needs only to accept Christ in their life. Basically they were saying that if a person needs the commandments he is not close to Christ; and if he is close to Christ then he certainly won’t need them. I thought it was kind of weird.

[katyseagull]

When I was growing up I was given mixed messages on pride. For the most part our parents taught us that modesty was very attractive and pride was sinful and unattractive. There were exceptions. We were allowed to take pride in our flower gardens, or if we grew a vegetable then that was something to be proud of. I remember we could boast all day long about the quality of our tomatoes and nobody would say a word against us. Also, we could be proud of musical accomplishments. That was totally cool.

But anything related to our looks, intelligence, ability to make friends, conversational skills, dancing talent, etc. was certainly not something to be boastful of. Pretty much we were encouraged to downplay everything.




[ QUOTE ]
Pride is kinda like a walk-me-down (you know that fruity mixed drink with like 7 white liquors in it) by the time you figure out that you have had too much- it is much too late.

...

Simply put, if you allow your pride to make you foolish- pride may be all you have left when it is all said and done. While I would agree that a strong sense of self is good, remember that to be complete one must temper action with wisdom and try to be humble.

[/ QUOTE ]


I am superstitious. I always think that if I get too full of myself then I will suffer the consequences and it will come back to bite me. In fact this always happens when I get prideful.