The Bible describes pride as sin. Pride goes before destruction (Prov. 16:18), puts one inch an undesirable relationship with God (1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6), and can yield a regrettable end (Prov. 29:23). Nebuchadnezzar was judged for his proud spirit (Dan. 4), Haman was beset with pride (Esther 5), and Pharaoh fell for doing it. God offers to humble the proud (Matt. 23:12).

Christian theologians have handled the very idea of pride mainly in the tradition of Augustine, who viewed pride because first sin and so spent a lot of his energy on discussing it. The keystone of his argument would be a text in Ecclesiasticus that reads, “pride is the start of sin.” The verse has later been regarded as questionable in meaning. Nonetheless, for this basis Augustine proceeded to watch late Satan as portrayed in Ezekiel and Isaiah as principally motivated by pride. “Your heart became proud on account of your beauty” (Ezek. 28:17, NIV). What led Satan to his fall was likewise the undoing from the humanity within the garden of Eden. Augustine felt that pride in its extreme may be the unpardonable sin (Green, 1949). He wrote extensively about his or her own struggles with pride, describing it as his greatest temptation.

Study regarding pride been specifically the subject of great interest to Christians in monastic traditions and later on towards the Pietists. Bernard of Clairvaux in The Steps of Humility asserted people will take steps upward whenever they pursue humility; but if they pursue pride, their steps may lead downward, following a lifetime of Satan. Bernard shows that you will find 12 steps that may lead one from your beginnings of pride-curiosity-to its most severe expression, habitual sin. The intervening steps are frivolity, foolish mirth, boastfulness, singularity (gonna all ends to prove oneself superior), conceit, audacity, excusing of sins, hypocritical confession, defiance, and freedom to sin. The first task of pride (curiosity) is the last step of humility (downcast eyes). The very last step of pride (habitual sin) medicine first step toward true humility (driving a car in the Lord).

Bernard’s outline is obviously sermonic in tone and designed as a possible instructive tool for aspiring monastics. However with its medieval format, his description of pride rings true. Modern psychology does not have much to include in his outline. Pride elevates the self, seeks to possess one’s worth recognized by others, and is also unaware of obvious personal faults. The proud person has difficulty functioning interpersonally, since they doesn’t receive or process feedback from others within a satisfactory manner. Nor will the proud person fare well within the task of being other-centered. Pride forms a vital aspect in the psychological construct of narcissism.

Pride, psychologically considered, is defensive as the name indicated. Obviously pride is not a fair and true estimate of self; it is really an overestimate. To ensure the proud person is motivated to hide a subconscious sense of inferiority or perhaps is motivated to overcompensate for actual inadequacies. Pride may be a part of an ill-formed method of social interaction; the proud person may genuinely feel their pride to be the most effective way to dealing with self while others and could be unacquainted with flaws that preclude the pride. Pride thrives on deference and praise from others. It could have its roots in parental overindulgence or even in experience that created deep personal insecurities that the pride is compensating.
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