Pride: Continuously Be
Involved in Positive Living on A Daily Basis
I am proud, they are
proud, we are proud……
We hear that word.
We feel a sense of
stronger will within us when that word is used either by us or others.
We share an
understanding and a mental idea of what people go through when they make the
claim that they are proud.
But what is pride?
The English dictionary
definition is a good starting point for one to define and understand the word
pride.
According to English
dictionaries, it is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from
one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely
associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired. Other
words similar to pride are: pleasure, joy, delight, gratification, fulfilment, satisfaction,
sense of achievement, comfort, content, contentment and a feeling that one has
moved on to a more fulfilling position in life.
It is also a confidence
and self-respect as expressed by members of a group, typically one that has
been socially marginalized, on the basis of their shared identity, culture, and
experience.
Some use symbols and
status to depict pride. Such symbols and status are so varied they include:
rings; badges; club membership; pendants; and many other things they choose to
use.
Pride
is a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by other
people. This is not a wrong value or belief surely.
However,
the feeling that you are more important or better than other people can also be
called arrogance and a sense of entitlement if it gets to the point of
dismissing others as sub-human!
Pride
is a feeling of happiness that you get when you or
someone you know does something good, difficult or goes through a long period
of hard work before they reach the end-point of achievement.
There
are three types of pride: pride expressed
as dignity; superiority and arrogance. These are distinguished scientifically
by brain scans. Their mental ingredients are singled out, and two experimental
studies are presented showing that they are conveyed by different combinations of smile, eyebrow and eyelid positions,
and head posture.
Pride is
an emotion that can be
either nurturing or destructive. Remember being
proud is a different thing — it can make
you come across as arrogant and self-centered. Being proud is about creating an
inflated self-image. It makes life unpleasant, especially for those around you.
So,
this is why many sayings, warnings and writing warn about it.
The Bible warns
about pride in the Proverbs 16:18, which says “Pride goes before destruction, a
haughty spirit before the fall.”
A Biblical scholar
called Bradley (2020), warns that “as part of the sanctification process that
God would like to start with each one of us – one of the first things that God
will be doing, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is to either take out or
prevent certain types of negative qualities from entering into our
personalities. Without question, one of the major negative qualities that God
will be moving very strongly on to either prevent it from being able to enter
into us to any significant degree, or to literally knock it right out of us if
it has moved too far up into our personalities is the negative quality of
pride.”
Jaasi an Asian
spiritual guru says that in order to appreciate our own inner strength, “let's
stop for a moment and look around ourselves. Let's reflect on the life that we
live. Reflect on our choices, our struggles, our achievements and on what we
have lost. Despite going through so much in such little time, we stand tall,
with our heads held high! However, sometimes society makes us feel inadequate,
like we're doing is not enough or incorrect. And the choices we make might not
be "acceptable." But that's just the thing. People talk. It's what
they do. So let people talk and point and judge. Just say I am #AsIAm and be
proud of these things.” Jaasi goes on to list things one can be proud of: a
job; sense of style; friends; family; ability
to forgive; one’s past; self-reflection time alone; traditions; values;
beliefs; action against injustices; heritage; sexuality; body.
In celebrating
pride, one is actually taking time off to give back to one’s self. It is a good
habit to appreciate your achievements. It is also good practice to make an
inventory of the things we do in life. This in turn enables one to improve of
their sense of worth. When you feel so downcast, just know that your body can overcome
this phase. Make strategic plans that anticipate changes in your life. Let most
changes come to you when you are ready to adjust. Do not take life for granted.
Pride is an opportunity to empower, protect and make us aware that we have to
continuously be involved in positive living on a daily basis.
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