| DECEMBER 1, 2025 -- Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
There are many words which have more than one meaning, sometimes with one meaning being “good” and another being “not so good”. Pride is one of these. Pride can refer to satisfaction, as in satisfied that something one has accomplished came out well; or pride can be boastfulness, which is the kind of pride that our Bible quotations above refer to.
The big difference to me is that one type of pride is constructive while the other type of pride is destructive. Solomon, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, tells us “Whatever your hand finds to do, strive to do well”, which is echoed in the Grange Master’s final charge in closing the Grange. In other words, we should work constructively for the common good so that we may be proud of what we accomplish. The other kind of pride, the bad kind, is defined as an excessive view of oneself without regard for others. It is one of the seven deadly sins, and often considered the most serious of the seven, as it may be the root of all sin. It directly contradicts the commandment that we must “love your neighbor as yourself”. From this sort of pride it is a short step to avarice, greed, lust, envy, and wrath. Being overly proud alienates others, which can ruin friendships or make it difficult to form new friendships. It can hinder your own personal growth and learning, as it keeps you from acknowledging your mistakes, or feel that you already know everything and therefore do not need to learn anything new.
Prideful people find it difficult, sometimes impossible, to apologize for their actions or admit fault.
They find it difficult to seek help when they need it, or to collaborate or cooperate with others for the common good. Thus they may miss out on many opportunities for success. Excessive pride can lead to overconfidence in one’s own abilities, which increases the likelihood of making poor decisions. But the worst problem with excessive pride is that it isolates a person, both from God and from their fellow human beings.
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