Last updated on April 2nd, 2021 at 10:13 am
Itās good to be proud. Proud of your accomplishments, of the people you care about, your lifestyleāthere are many things in which we can put our pride and still have it be expressed in a healthy way; but left unchecked, pride tends to become overgrown, twisting and turning into a perverse version of what it once was.
How many problems have arisen in the world because a leader was too PROUD to admit their mistakes? How many fractured relationships were never repaired because the people involved were too PROUD to put their differences aside and discuss the issue? Or the ever-classic scenario of those who are too PROUD to accept the help of others, letting negative situations continue for far longer than they need to.
The difference between the first set of examples and the second is that the first are examples of pride that donāt hurt anybody. Hurting others (or ourselves) with pride is rarely an intentional thingāour pride is an output based on numerous factors that determine who we are as people. Itās based on preferences, morals, paradigms and experiences. Thus, itās difficult to really get a concrete image of what price is and how it works.
So what makes the difference between healthy pride and harmful pride?
Sadly enough, it all comes down to context. The same prided can be interpreted differently depending on whatās going on at the time. If youāre proud of your child, youāll put a drawing done by them on the fridge, but that same pride could leave you mistakenly believing them if they did a crime when theyāre older, since you never believe that your child could do it.
Pride is a powerful thing, adding a hue to how we see the worldāfor better or for worse.
To make sure that you are in control of your pride and not the other way around, here are a few quick tips and exercises to keep in mind for the moments where a bias might be sending you down the wrong path.
Pride and Bias: A Self-Check
LOOK AT THE SITUATION OBJECTIVELY
If youāre entering a situation ruled by your biases and emotions, you may just be on a collision course with disaster. Take a breath, really look at the situation youāre in, and donāt let your pride and preconceptions dictate how things are going to go down.
UNDERSTAND THE PERSPECTIVES OF OTHERS
If someoneās saying something that doesnāt jive with the things you say, donāt automatically think that theyāre wrong. Analyze what theyāre saying and see if thereās any truth to it. If not, feel free to politely correct them and move on.
DO A SELF-CHECK
Check to make sure that youāre in the right with whatever youāre doingāwe can often let our egos and opinions run away with us, and start to think that weāre better than others or more deserving of things than other people. Seeing as how weāre all based on the same genetic makeup, this is very likely untrue. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
DONāT IMPOSE YOUR PRIDE ON OTHERS
Just because you feel highly or strongly about something doesnāt mean you need to force-feed it down the throats of others. Thereās no need to be holier-than-thou or telling people I told you so. Be proud in the things where you hold your pride, but respect that others may have differing opinions.
SLOW YOUR ROLL
If someone attacks the things that youāre proud of, retaliation is likely the worst course of action you can take. You need to slow down, take some breaths, and defend your views without getting violent, hot-headed or doing something stupid. Itāll do better for you in the long run!
Pride can be a silent killer if we donāt watch it. It can kill our reputations. It can kill the bonds we have with people. The body count is immeasurable and wonāt be shrinking anytime soon.
Donāt be prideās next victimāstart mastering your pride today.