Pride Goeth Before a Fall, Or Does It?

Cheryl Gowin and Dennis Gowin.  Call us at our counseling practice with your feedback, comments, issues, or questions at 434-808-2637.

In a recent online article, the saying “Pride goeth before a fall” was listed as one of the top ten misquoted Bible verses.   The writer apparently felt this quote is not exactly in line with Proverbs 16:18, that talks about a haughty spirit.

Do you think of pride as a negative emotion?  Dictionary.com provides two definitions. The first definition describes pride as inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable feeling of superiority as to one’s talents, beauty, wealth, rank, and so forth; disdainful behavior or treatment; insolence or arrogance of demeanor; haughty bearing.  The second definition states pride is a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one’s position or character; self-respect; self-esteem.

Like many of our emotions and actions, pride ranges from a healthy view and appreciation of ourselves to a very unhealthy view even haughty evaluation of self.  Many of us avoid the negative definition of pride not by accepting a healthy level of self-respect but rather by living with a negative view of self.  People who fall into this category generally struggle with the negative effects of low self-esteem. Would you answer yes or no to the following questions:

I seek approval and affirmation from others.

I am afraid of criticism.

I usually feel as if I am not as good as other people.

I am not able to appreciate my own actions and achievements.

I am my own worst critic, and I am harder on myself than I am on others.

I want perfection in my life but I don’t think I am ever good enough or measure up.

I feel guilty when I stand up for myself or think about my needs first.

I feel responsible for others; it is much easier to have concern for others than for myself.

I am worried that all my friends and family will abandon me.

I feel responsible for everything and everyone, I have difficulty saying no.

A person suffering from an unhealthy low self-esteem would answer yes to most of these questions.  Do you ever think about the statement made in Genesis that you were made in God’s image?  How does your view of yourself correspond with the idea of being made in God’s image?   Take a minute and think about this; now think about your sense of significance and your view of yourself.   

Does thinking about being made in God’s image help you view yourself with dignity and self-respect as in the second definition of pride?   We all have times when we question our value.  The problem grows when the questioning of our dignity and worth makes us feel like a failure.  It is challenging to deal with the aspects of life when we feel like a consistent failure.

Healthy pride is a dignified sense of what is due to our own actions.  Back to Dictionary.com and the definition of dignity.  Dignity is the quality of being worthy, of being esteemed or respected. Dignity is built on self-regard, self-respect, and self-esteem.

“There is no dignity when the human dimension is eliminated from the person.”  Pope John Paul II

Abraham Maslow, “to represent our human needs, designed a pyramid that stacked the hierarchy of human needs in five layers.  The pyramid’s layers start with our basic needs for food, shelter, and climbs to esteem needs.  Esteem needs are self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, and respect by others. Near the top of Maslow’s pyramid is our need to be valued by others, as well by ourselves.”   

Maslow is graphically showing us that we need to have a dignified view of self.  A primary need is for all of us to realize we are a person of worth and value, regardless of what anyone thinks, does or says, and despite any goals, we may or may not have accomplished.

It seems the second definition of pride is in line with the thoughts expressed in Psalm 139:14.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalm 139:14

Cheryl Gowin and Dennis Gowin.  Call us with your feedback, comments, issues, or questions; our phone number is 434-808-2637.