Why pride is a trap nobody should fall into (March 19)

Hey friends,

This week I want to talk about pride. Did people ever tell you they were proud of you when you achieved something or did they say "You should be very proud of yourself" Most of us probably have and May I say that it doesn't really feel right when people tell you to be proud of yourself matter of fact at the back of your mind it can feel a bit pompous and egotistical? I think pride is a trap that should be avoided at absolutely all costs.

This was inspired by a sermon where the priest talked about how pride was one of the seven deathly sins.

Here is a quote about pride as a deathly sin:

Of the seven deadly sins, theologians and philosophers reserve a special place for pride. Lust, envy, anger, greed, gluttony and sloth are all bad, the sages say, but pride is the deadliest of all, the root of all evil, and the beginning of sin. But then there's parental pride, pride in one's work, pride for your school or your city or your country. Of all the deadly sins, writes Michael Eric Dyson, pride is most likely to stir debate about whether it's a sin at all.

Pride is also considered the most deathly sin. Why? Well, these words some it up so perfectly that there is no point in me rephrasing it.

Pride is a poison because it's the basis for disrespecting others and for creating suffering in our lives. Excessive pride is an exaggerated appreciation of oneself by devaluating others. It is often driven by poor self-worth. We are so insecure that we compensate by feeling superior.

Also if you want to read something long-form this thread put it beautifully.

I am not saying that you should constantly beat yourself up no matter what but what I am saying is that maybe you can take a slightly more self-deprecating approach to things as you will then develop a growth mindset to keep you constantly improving along the way and enjoying the journey rather than feeling proud that you have accomplished something that most likely isn't as big a deal as you think but once again it is always good to acknowledge "achievements" rather than completely brushing them off.

Have a great week!

Conor


❤️ My Favourite Things This Week

  1. Croke Cup - This week our school won the Croke Cup for the first time in its history and we had a great day out. Better yet we beat the team that had beat us 3 times in finals (we can't get too proud although we should definitely acknowledge it😉)
  2. Batman - This week I saw the new Batman in the cinema and it's excellent; highly recommend it.
  3. Books - I had forgotten that I had made a "to buy" booklist on Goodreads and now I have loads of books to keep me occupied and hopefully educated.

✍️ Quote of The Week

Remember—boredom is the enemy, not some abstract “failure”.