PRIDE

BEING quietly aware that we are worthy beings, that we are doing the best that we know how, that we are an integral part of this wonderful world, is sometimes called pride. But there is no judgment of others or of ourselves, so that is not really pride in its true meaning – just a quiet appreciation of self and everything else.

There are many different subtle forms of pride. For example, (and we have all done this) we are about to tell someone the news of what happened. “Guess what? You don’t know yet? Let me tell you”. If we are alert enough, we may be able to detect a momentary sense of smug satisfaction within ourselves, a puffing up of pride, just before imparting the news – even if it’s bad news.

It is due to the fact that there is an imbalance in our favour between us and the other person. For a brief moment in time, we know more than them. The satisfaction we feel is pride. Even if the other person is the president or the pope, we feel superior in that moment because we know more than they.

Some people play sport for the sheer enjoyment of it, win or lose – but to some it’s war, a matter of pride, a competition that must be won at all costs. If they are not winning, they are apt throw a tantrum and scream obscenities at whoever or whatever impedes them and they usually believe others are at fault, not them.

What is happening is that they are falling short of the expectations they have put on themselves, how special they think they are, the wins that they have had in the past, in which they take great pride in. This self belief then is projected forward into the future with the prospects of the pride in the wins to come.

Pride is a psychotic disease that needs the past and future in which to develop and can cause all of us to become argumentative or even hostile if our self belief is affronted. Pride cannot exist in the present moment, where there is only a quiet awareness that we are all equally worthy beings…

Dan’s Quote: “Anger is the enemy of non-violence…
_____________ and pride is a monster that swallows it up.”- Mohandas Gandhi

Inspiration for this chapter came from the writings of Joel Kramer, Eckhart Tolle and others.