The way to love someone
is to lightly run your finger over that person's soul
until you find a crack,
and then gently pour your love into that crack.
~Keith Miller

Monday, May 28, 2012

PRIDE

PRIDE
WRATH


Pride n. 

  1.  high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity,importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc.
  2. the state or feeling of being proud.
  3. a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself orone's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.
  4. pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by orbelonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upononeself: civic pride.
  5. something that causes a person or persons to be proud: His art collection was the pride of the family.


1. Pride, conceit, self-esteem, egotism, vanity, vainglory  imply an unduly favorable idea of one's own appearance, advantages,achievements, etc., and often apply to offensive characteristics.Pride  is a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority insome respect: Pride must have a fall. 

Conceit  implies an exaggerated estimate of one's own abilities or attainments, together with pride: blinded by conceit. 

Self-esteem  may imply an estimate of oneself that is higher than that held by others: a ridiculous self-esteem. 

Egotism  implies an excessive preoccupation with oneself or with one's own concerns, usually but not always accompanied by pride or conceit: His egotism blinded him to others' difficulties. 

Vanity implies self-admiration and an excessive desire to be admiredby others: His vanity was easily flattered. 

Vainglory,  somewhat literary, implies an inordinate and therefore empty or unjustified pride: puffed up by vainglory.   boast. 


1.  humility. 



Pride is an inwardly directed emotion that carries two common meanings. 
With a negative connotation, pride refers to an inflated sense of one's personal status or accomplishments, often used synonymously with hubris. 
With a positive connotation, pride refers to a satisfied sense of attachment toward one's own or another's choices and actions, or toward a whole group of people, and is a product of praise, independent self-reflection, or a fulfilled feeling of belonging. ~ Wikipedia  


I'm not the only one having a time of trying to define "Pride"  because it commonly means two distinctly different things and ... seems like quite more with subtle variation.  And ... pride in one's accomplishments, early developmental accomplishments all the way through life to perhaps wonderful feats of accomplishment seem to be motivated by whatever dope pings us along.  I want to be proud of myself.  I hope I can behave in a way that I get "good" feedback, most especially from myself, but probably from my significant others, and maybe even from society at large.  Here is an example ... people sometimes say there are not very many CFIs who are also women ... somewhere, very hidden within, I smile at that.  I also realize that I spent days of my life on that ... days which may have been better spent, days which most definitely could have been wasted but weren't (I am also proud of that ... that I try not to waste my life ... this blogging stuff is the one thing I do that I would consider the most wasteful uses of my time ... I still think it's worth a bit of my time). Had I not spent time on flying accomplishments I know I would have found other challenges to pursue ... and I admire and congratulate people who make similar choices.  I think there are tons of people who can be very proud of their life work ... and a lot of it isn't measured as favorably by society at large.  People who choose to make right choices frequently do so with no accolades at all.  In reading these soldier's stories of late, I can see how easily one doing "good things", "right things" doesn't feel that their life is being well spent.  One writer spoke of digging holes in the sand ... which filled right back in.  Yeah ... I get it ... truthfully, we all get it.  I clear the front hall table ... every day.  I do the same stuff over and over again every single (sometimes freakin') day.  It doesn't seem to make a difference ... not the kind of difference that is worth a life. Seems like we can all be very proud to be on the planet with those who strive towards good ... whatever that is exactly. 
Pride ... another thought on pride is I know pride has stopped me from doing some stuff that I would like to do but don't ... because it is wrong.  I want to be proud of my choices and I hope to not disappoint God more then I have to.  I would very much like to dip my finger in to not my ice cream ... part of the reason why I don't is pride as in the opposite of ashamed.  I don't want to feel ashamed of my behavior ... I want to make choices I can be proud of.  
It has been difficult for me to adjust to how my life is right now.  I am used to having a goal ... a plan ... to see myself moving towards.  I have used that strategy to organize my life.  In a way it's fair to say to validate myself to myself.  As long as I was accomplishing steps towards my goals I thought I must be "on track" and could feel proud of how the day was spent.  Now ... I guess I am in the process of figuring some stuff out.  Now ... I do the dishes and ... I mop the floors ... I have these home projects going, but ... well, I like things to be nice and tidy, but I also realize that it doesn't make much difference.  I unload the dishwasher every morning while my yummy coffee brews ... I look out the window and smile with my dog ... I see the birds on the feeder ... yeah, everyday ... same thing.  I do not feel pride in any of those five ways it is defined above.  I do the best work I can.  I don't think it is significant in anyway.  I just do what I am supposed to do.  I don't think it will be like this "forever" ... but I discipline myself to make the best of it. Sometimes I do pretty good with that sometimes not ... sometimes I feel pretty bitchy in general ... like I am wasting time.  What I really think is I am in this time and it won't last forever ... I am trying to truly enjoy the ease of these days.  I can pretty much think about whatever strikes my fancy ... and I have a lot of freedom to do as a wish ... .


A portion of mankind take pride in their vices and pursue their purpose; many more waver between doing what is right and complying with what is wrong.
Horace



"For the wicked boasts of the desires of his heart, and the man greedy for gain curses and renounces The Lord. In the pride of his countenance the wicked does not seek Him" (Psalm 10:3-4 RSV)



... pride very often results in self-destructive behavior because, while a form of self-delusion, it isn't necessarily as much an overestimation of one's self as it is a dangerous underestimation of others, hence "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18 RSV). ~ Wayne Blank,
CoG pastor and author of on-line Bible studies. 


"There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine they are guilty themselves." ~ C.S. Lewis on the sin of pride in his work "Mere Christianity"


When pride comes, then comes disgrace, 
    but with humility comes wisdom. ~ Proverbs 11:2  some translations say contention rather then disgrace.





Webster's handle on this word ... 
  • it is the quality or state of being proud, as in inordinate self-esteem or conceit, or a reasonable or justifiable self-respect or delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship (such as parental pride). 
  • pride is also defined as proud or disdainful behavior or treatment. 
  • an ostentatious display.
I've been thinking about pride for a while now.  



“Pride is Satan’s disease” by Thomas Brooks“Pride is a sin, which of all sins, makes a person most like Satan. Pride is Satan’s disease. Pride is so base a disease, that God had rather see His dearest children buffeted by Satan, than that in pride they should be like to Satan (2 Cor. 12:7). When Paul, under the abundance of revelations, was in danger of being puffed up, the Lord rather than He would have him proud like Satan, suffers him to be buffeted by Satan…

It was pride which turned angels into devils. They would be above others in heaven—and therefore God cast them down to hell… Other sins strike at the word of God, the people of God, and the creatures of God, but pride strikes directly at the very being of God… God bears a special hatred against pride. His heart hates it, His mouth curses it, and His hand plagueth it.” –Thomas Brooks, “The Unsearchable Riches of Christ” in The Works of Thomas Brooks, Vol. 1, Ed. C. Bradley (London: L.B. Seeley and Son, 1824), 51-2.

Pride is interesting in that some pride is necessary ... an excess of pride is corrosive, absolutely destructive ... .  It seems almost like a balancing act.  

wounded warrior ... here because the reality is life is messy ... sometimes it sets you down ... this guy, we played with army men all the time when I was growing up ... this guy, wounded, is still all in, he's still a player, and ... he's gonna be a lot harder to knock down ... the lower CG is an asset to his whole team.
I thought I'd go ahead and post this ... go on to the last of the seven vices,  ... I know there's plenty of more to think about here. So ... wrath.

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