Chapter 56

(chapters 55, 56, and 57 are all my best attempts to summarize some teachings that I learned by researching the subject matter of pride in a book and a few articles that I read... I have avoided putting my normal philosophical spin on things, and I hope my readers enjoy it)

In the previous chapter we examined pride and its adjuncts. Now let us consider another kind of pride that is often overlooked; and that is self-pity. When a man is being prideful he is focused too much on self, which is exactly what is happening with anyone self-absorbed in a sense of failure. People who seemingly espouse endless variations of self-pity (or sometimes called “false pride”) think they might conceal their motives of wishing they could be recognized or considered more important than others.

The prideful and overly self-focused person is one who complains or whines about the fact they are not getting what they deserve, or that they are not elevated and esteemed as they think they should be. When they find these desires unfulfilled, they become even more inwardly attentive and continue the vicious cycle. Basically it all boils down to this: Proud people believe life is all about them –their happiness, their accomplishments, and their worth. But what about God?

Do you see the inherent problems with being unthankful to God for what good gifts and talents He has given you? Do you see a problem with focusing too much on what you don’t have as opposed to what you do have? Do you see a problem with being angry at God for what you perceive as unfairness? Thinking on matters such as this poses great difficulty for most of us (especially me), but it is helpful to our growth to try and change into who God wants us to be. And that is loving, selfless, thankful people who seek to give God all the glory and seek none for ourselves.