The Bible describes pride as sin. Pride goes before destruction (Prov. 16:18), puts one in an undesirable relationship with God (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6), and will yield a regrettable end (Prov. 29:23). Nebuchadnezzar was judged for his proud spirit (Dan. 4), Haman was beset with pride (Esther 5), and Pharaoh fell correctly. God intentions to humble the proud (Matt. 23:12).
Christian theologians have dealt with the very idea of pride mainly from the tradition of Augustine, who viewed pride since the first sin thereby spent a lot of his energy on discussing it. The keystone of his argument was a text in Ecclesiasticus that reads, “pride may be the beginning of sin.” The verse has later been viewed as questionable in meaning. Nonetheless, with this basis Augustine proceeded to see the fall of Satan as portrayed in Ezekiel and Isaiah as principally motivated by pride. “Your heart became proud because of your beauty” (Ezek. 28:17, NIV). What led Satan to his fall was likewise the undoing of the mankind within the garden of Eden. Augustine felt that pride in its extreme is the unpardonable sin (Green, 1949). He wrote extensively about his or her own struggles with pride, describing it as his greatest temptation.
Study regarding pride been specifically the subject of great interest to Christians in monastic traditions and later to the Pietists. Bernard of Clairvaux from the Steps of Humility said that people will take steps upward should they pursue humility; but if they pursue pride, their steps will lead downward, following the length of Satan. Bernard shows that you’ll find 12 steps that could lead one from your beginnings of pride-curiosity-to its most severe expression, habitual sin. The intervening steps are frivolity, foolish mirth, boastfulness, singularity (likely to all ends to prove oneself superior), conceit, audacity, excusing of sins, hypocritical confession, defiance, and freedom to sin. The first task of pride (curiosity) may be the last step of humility (downcast eyes). The past step of pride (habitual sin) medicine first step toward true humility (the worry in the Lord).
Bernard’s outline is undoubtedly sermonic in tone and designed as an instructive tool for aspiring monastics. But with all of its medieval format, his description of pride rings true. Modern psychology doesn’t have much to add to his outline. Pride elevates the self, seeks to get one’s worth identified by others, and is blind to obvious personal faults. The proud person has difficulty functioning interpersonally, since he or she does not receive or process feedback from others inside a satisfactory manner. Nor does the proud person fare well in the task for being other-centered. Pride forms a key consider the psychological construct of narcissism.
Pride, psychologically considered, is defensive anyway. By definition pride is not a fair and true estimate of self; it is really an overestimate. Hence the proud body’s motivated to cover a subconscious a sense inferiority or perhaps is motivated to overcompensate for actual inadequacies. Pride could be a part of an ill-formed way of social interaction; the proud person may genuinely feel his / her pride is the best way to dealing with self while others and may be not aware flaws that preclude the pride. Pride thrives on deference and praise from others. It may well have its roots in parental overindulgence or perhaps in an identification that created deep personal insecurities in which the pride is compensating.
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