The Bible describes pride as sin. Pride goes before destruction (Prov. 16:18), puts one out of an inadequate 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 because of it. God plans to humble the proud (Matt. 23:12).
Christian theologians have handled the concept of pride mainly from the tradition of Augustine, who viewed pride since the first sin and therefore spent a great deal of his energy on discussing it. The keystone of his argument was a text in Ecclesiasticus that reads, “pride will be the start of sin.” The verse has later been regarded as questionable in meaning. Nonetheless, with this basis Augustine proceeded to see late Satan as portrayed in Ezekiel and Isaiah as principally motivated by pride. “Your heart became proud due to your beauty” (Ezek. 28:17, NIV). What led Satan to his fall was likewise the downfall in the people from the garden of Eden. Augustine felt that pride in their extreme could be the unpardonable sin (Green, 1949). He wrote extensively about their own struggles with pride, describing it as being his greatest temptation.
The research into pride has been the subject of great interest to Christians in monastic traditions and later for the Pietists. Bernard of Clairvaux inside the Steps of Humility declared that people may take steps upward should they pursue humility; but when they pursue pride, their steps may lead downward, following course of Satan. Bernard implies that you will find 12 steps that can lead one from your beginnings of pride-curiosity-to its most severe expression, habitual sin. The intervening steps are frivolity, foolish mirth, boastfulness, singularity (planning to all ends to show oneself superior), conceit, audacity, excusing of sins, hypocritical confession, defiance, and freedom to sin. The initial step of pride (curiosity) will be the last step of humility (downcast eyes). The past step of pride (habitual sin) needs to be the reasons for true humility (worries with the Lord).
Bernard’s outline is usually sermonic in tone and designed as a possible instructive tool for aspiring monastics. But its medieval format, his description of pride rings true. Modern psychology doesn’t need much to enhance his outline. Pride elevates the self, seeks to possess one’s worth identified by others, and is also unaware of obvious personal faults. The proud person has difficulty functioning interpersonally, since they won’t receive or process feedback from others within a satisfactory manner. Nor will the proud person fare well within the task for being other-centered. Pride forms a key take into account the psychological construct of narcissism.
Pride, psychologically considered, is defensive in nature. By definition pride is very little fair and true estimate of self; it becomes an overestimate. Which means the proud individual is motivated to cover a subconscious sense of inferiority or perhaps motivated to overcompensate for actual inadequacies. Pride can be section of an ill-formed way of social interaction; the proud person may genuinely feel his or her pride is the best way to dealing with self yet others and may even be unaware of flaws that preclude the pride. Pride thrives on deference and praise from others. It might have its roots in parental overindulgence or in a background that created deep personal insecurities that the pride is compensating.
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