A person is an emotional person with well-established rules of life. He has a large energy reserve, with the help of feelings he expresses his attitude to the world around him, but what potential a person's thoughts are charged with and what emotions he emits in the process of communicating with people depends on him. What is pride and why it is named for a person - let's try to formulate.

Pride - what is it?

Pride is a feeling of superiority of one's own person over others. This is an inadequate assessment of personal significance. It often leads to making stupid mistakes that others suffer from. Pride is manifested in arrogant disrespect for other people and their lives, problems. People with a sense of pride brag about their achievements in life. They determine their own success by personal aspirations and efforts, not noticing God's help in obvious life circumstances, do not recognize the facts of support from other people.

In Latin, the term pride is "superbia". Pride is a mortal sin for the reason that all the qualities inherent in a person are from the Creator. Seeing in yourself the source of all life's achievements and believing that everything around you is the fruit of your own labors is completely wrong. Criticism of others and discussion of their insolvency, mockery of failures - flatters the pride of people with pride.

Signs of pride

The conversations of such people are based on "I" or "MY". The manifestation of pride is the world in the eyes of the proud, which is divided into two unequal halves - "He" and all the rest. Moreover, "all the rest" in comparison with him - an empty place, unworthy of attention. If we recall “everyone else”, then only for comparison, in a light favorable to pride - stupid, ungrateful, wrong, weak, and so on.

Pride in psychology

Pride can be a sign of wrong parenting. In childhood, parents are able to inspire their child that he is the best. It is necessary to praise and support the child - but for specific, not invented reasons, but to reward with false praise - to form pride, a personality with high self-esteem. Such people do not know how to analyze their shortcomings. In childhood, they did not hear criticism and are not able to perceive it in adulthood.

Often, pride destroys a relationship - communicating with a proud person is unpleasant. Initially, not many people like to feel one order of magnitude lower, to listen to haughty monologues, not a desire to compromise. Talents and abilities of another person, amazed by pride, does not recognize. If such are openly noticed in society or a company, then the proud one will publicly refute and deny them in every possible way.

What is pride in Orthodoxy?

In Orthodoxy, pride is considered the main sin, it becomes the source of other mental vices: vanity, greed, resentment. The foundation on which the salvation of the human soul is built is the Lord above all. Then you need to love your neighbor, sometimes sacrificing your own interests. But spiritual pride does not recognize debt to others; the feeling of compassion is alien to it. The virtue that eradicates pride is humility. It manifests itself in patience, prudence, obedience.

How is pride different from pride?

Pride and pride - have different meanings and are manifested in a person's character according to different signs. Pride is a feeling of joy for specific, valid reasons. She does not belittle or demean the interests of others. Pride is a border, it denotes life values, reflects the inner world, allows a person to rejoice with a sincere feeling for the achievements of other people. Pride makes a person a slave to his own principles:

• makes you build relationships based on the principle of inequality;
• does not forgive mistakes;
• has rancor;
• does not recognize human talents;
• prone to self-affirmation in other people's labors;
• does not allow a person to learn from their own mistakes.

Causes of pride

Modern society forms the opinion that a woman can do without a man. Female pride does not recognize family union - marriage in which a man is the head and his opinion should be the main one. A woman in such a relationship does not recognize the correctness of a man, clearly puts forward her independence as an argument, and seeks to subordinate his will. It is important for her to be a winner in a relationship with unshakable principles. It is unacceptable for a proud woman to sacrifice one's own ambitions for the good of the family.

Excessive control, sawing and feminine irritation on a petty reason - poison the lives of both. All scandals end only after the man admits his guilt and the female Ego wins. If a man is forced to praise the superiority of his wife for any petty reason, he feels humiliated. His love fades away - passion arises, and he leaves the family.

What does pride lead to?

Pride is called an inferiority complex. An unhealthy feeling of superiority over others does not allow a person to admit his shortcomings, prompts him to prove his innocence by all means - to lie, boast, invent and dissemble. The vain and proud have developed a sense of cruelty, anger, hatred, resentment, contempt, envy and despair - which is characteristic of weak-minded people. The fruits of pride are those that generate aggressive behavior towards others.

In each capacity, people try to discern the useful and harmful sides for themselves. The quality of pride raises many questions. Is it good? Why should people be proud, but when they show pride in themselves, it causes resentment? How to get rid of pride?

There is a big difference between pride and pride. Pride is when you over-admire yourself or another person. And pride is the opinion that your life is the most correct, and the lifestyles of those around you are wrong.

What is pride? This is when you think that other people are wrong, live meaninglessly, the world cannot exist without you, and only you know how to live with meaning and save the world.

A proud person perceives himself to be all-knowing, able to do everything, not needing help, but capable of saving everyone and everything. The heroes, who are often illustrated in fairy tales and science fiction films, are proud people. The plot of the story unfolds in such a way that the heroes begin to think that only they are capable of saving everyone. Other people become weak, weak, helpless. In real life, this is expressed in the desire to help everyone and everywhere. A person believes on a subconscious level that people cannot cope without him. You can try to dissuade him from helping. He will answer you: “You do not understand anything. I see that they need help. That's it, I went to help them! "

A proud person often goes to help everyone and everything. Absolutely all people seem to be in need of help in the eyes of such a person. And this happens due to the thoughts that only he knows how to do it right, how it should be and how it should be. Of course, a proud person considers himself always and in everything right. Only he lives right, and the rest sin, so they need help, moral admonitions and additional education so that they understand how it should be.

The commandment, which is violated by proud people, sounds like this: "Live and let others live!" They themselves cannot live harmoniously and happily, and they try to create the same living conditions for others.

What is pride?

If people have a positive attitude to pride, then pride is perceived negatively. What is pride? This is a person's excessive pride in himself. It is accompanied by arrogance, conceit and selfishness.

A proud person is not loved for one good reason - he exalts himself above others. He considers himself more knowledgeable, beautiful, successful, skillful than other people. He believes that he is better versed in life, tastes, clothes, politics, etc. Often, pride manifests itself unreasonably, that is, without a good reason for its existence. A person is proud of something that does not exist, not noticing the real state of affairs. At the same time, he unreasonably humiliates others, which, of course, does not like.

In religion, pride is referred to as one of the deadly sins. This quality is seen as a person's desire to rise to the level of God, to become above and more important than other people.

A proud person often exhibits megalomaniac qualities. I don't want to ask him for help. I don't want to open up to him. He has no desire to talk about his problems. It all lies in the fact that a proud person is not prone to empathy. If you tell him about your problems, then he will enjoy it. He will begin to indicate that he is doing well, and those who came to him are losers, losers.

It is unpleasant to communicate with a proud person, because he is looking for any ways to rise again at the expense of other people's troubles.

What is a proud person? He is usually represented with a proudly raised nose and a protruding chin, they say, "I'm always right." So it is: such a person always considers himself to be right, because he thinks that he knows everything.

An omniscient person is a proud person. Even spiritual people recognize the fact that they may not know something, although it is to them that those around them turn to know their soul. A proud person believes that he knows everything, respectively, when someone proves him wrong, he defends himself. It is difficult for him to admit the fact that he may not know something. Therefore, arguing with a proud person is a waste of time. It will be easier not to argue than just ruin your nerves and mood.

The favorite phrase of proud people is: "I told you so!" He once again wishes to prove to himself and others that he knows everything. And how else can this be done better, if you do not show by the example of what he said, then it came true. When a proud person turns out to be right, he considers it a sign: "Look, I was right!" When such incidents happen to other people, he considers it a coincidence, luck, or accident. Here again one can trace the desire of a person to be always and in everything right, best and all-knowing.

But where does this pride come from? What are the root motives for becoming proud? Everything is based on a simple desire to be needed and important to other people. Anyone who possesses knowledge is considered an important and necessary person. That is why a proud person directs all his strength to prove to others that he knows everything. He is focused on status, namely, to feel important and needed by other people.

Naturally, one can assume that a proud person is one who, in childhood, went through a stage when he felt unnecessary to his parents. Having experienced such a state, a person programs himself to always be important and necessary to everyone. How will he achieve this? In all available ways. He will observe others and note that people are attracted to each other. After that, it is these aspects of the personality that he will develop in himself (at best) or simply seem to be an "attractive" person (that is, in fact, not to be such inside).

Pride and pride - what's the difference?

Pride and pride have the same root words. Often, because of this, people think that these are absolutely similar concepts. In fact, there is a difference between them. The article examines it in detail so that people understand when they show pride (which is good), and when pride (which is considered a mortal sin). What is the difference?

Emotional color is one of the characteristic differences. Pride is tinged with negative emotions, since they are aimed at raising oneself at the expense of humiliating others. Hatred, rejection, disrespect towards other people are manifested, which are negative emotions.

Pride, on the other hand, has a positive emotional tint, since we are talking about joy for one's own or others' achievements, which are available in the real world. A person does not elevate or humiliate, but simply rejoices for the achievements that were made personally by him or by other people.

Proud and proud people are different. Pride makes you show a sense of justice, compassion, collectivism, and patriotism. Pride makes you show envy, hatred, disrespect and contempt, disgust for others. A proud person is always focused on truth and justice. You can contact him to give an honest answer. This cannot be seen behind a proud individual who is focused only on himself. He loves only himself, while hating others.

Another difference between pride and pride is achievement. Pride manifests itself in a person who has actually achieved something. He knows what he is capable of, is proud of his achievements, has a real experience of positive results. Pride is based on myths and illusions. The achievements that the proud person talks about are not real. Looking back in time, there are no real stories that would confirm the words of a person.

Pride is self-reliance and strength. Pride is vulnerability.

The most notable difference between these qualities is focus on other people. Pride is manifested in the fact that a person is ready to rejoice for the success of others. He's really happy that other people are good at something. Pride does not allow a person to be happy for those around him. On the contrary, he envies them if they achieve more than he does.

Signs of pride

Is it possible to recognize a proud person? In fact, it will not be difficult. Pride is manifested in the fact that a person considers himself the only right. He perceives the opinions of others as wrong, stupid, erroneous. Everyone is wrong except himself. And if so, then the people around are stupid. He constantly tells people that they are stupid, which is a clear sign of pride.

In the head of a proud person there is a hierarchy, at the top of which he himself is. Other people are always below him. Who will be at what stage depends on the criteria by which he evaluates them. He will not put anyone on a par with himself.

A proud person can help other people, but she will never be disinterested. If such an individual has helped, then he will definitely demand a return. At the same time, helping others, he once again proves what is important and necessary for those around him.

Can such a person ask for help? Maybe, but only as a last resort. Usually he tries to achieve everything himself, so that, if successful, reap the benefits alone. However, if he is unable to do without the help of people, he is ready to ask for it, stepping over himself. He will do this in such a way that in the end he does not remain in debt and does not feel that he was helped.

A proud person believes that the world will collapse without him, and people simply will not survive without his help. He knows everything and can do everything, so people should turn to him for help, advice, support. However, such an individual often needs help and support himself, which he himself never admits.

A proud person gives advice to the right and to the left, even when they are not asked about them. At the same time, he expects that other people will use them one hundred percent and unconditionally. This will further strengthen its authority and importance. Pride does not allow you to recognize the fact that others have their heads on their shoulders and are able to have their own correct opinion.

A proud person is distinguished by the fact that he tries to take on the worries and affairs. He tries to keep up everywhere, to cope with all matters, because he believes that nothing will happen without him. He strains, spends all his energy and time, and when he does not achieve the desired results or does not receive approval from others, he begins to blame people for all the troubles. He did everything from his side (even if he was not asked about it), and fate is so ungrateful ...

A proud person ascribes successes exclusively to himself, and troubles, failures - to those around him. He condemns the actions of other people who do not act the way he wants. At the same time, he is not able to accept advice from people, since in this case he begins to perceive them as an attempt to control him.

A proud person likes to label other people, considering himself the smartest. He believes that everyone owes him, any of his whims should be fulfilled even before he spoke about them.

How to get rid of pride?

Noticing the signs of pride, a person is already one step closer to healing. Pride is often hidden, preventing a person from recognizing it. However, if every proud person sees that he is showing pride, he will already be half healed. How to get rid of pride?

The technique of accepting others as they are becomes important. It is suitable not only for proud people, but also for people with other negative qualities. To accept people as they are, to consider their right to be themselves, and not as they want to be, to realize that they are right - all this also helps in getting rid of pride.

Outcome

Pride and pride are different concepts, despite the fact that they are based on the same feeling. Pride is about real achievement. Pride is based on illusions in the head of a person. Understanding the difference between these concepts, you can come to a conclusion - do you need to change yourself or not?

There is nothing wrong with pride. It is a positive reaction of a person to the fact that good results have been achieved. At the same time, it becomes unimportant who achieved them. Pride arises both for oneself and for other people.

Pride is often combined with vanity, when a person tries to rise above others, while rarely relying on real achievements, skills and knowledge. It seems to a person that the world cannot exist without him, therefore all his actions are obsessive, unpleasant and repulsive.

If you do not get rid of pride, then you can be left alone, which will be an unfavorable prognosis. And healing comes when a person himself admits and decides that he wants to change.

Pride and the reasons for the formation of this personality defect. The article provides practical advice on how to get rid of the problem yourself with accompanying recommendations from specialists.

The content of the article:

Pride is the overconfidence, arrogance, and arrogance of a person who puts himself one step above the rest. With this vice, a person quite often considers himself undeservedly offended, worries if his talents are not extolled, he himself often behaves in a boorish way with others. Even the Bible condemns pride, referring it to the seven deadly sins. An overestimated ego in most cases makes it difficult to adequately assess the existing reality, therefore it is necessary to get rid of such an attitude towards oneself and society.

The main reasons for the development of pride

The formation of arrogance and arrogance is usually based on the following factors:

• Wrong parenting model... Some parents from childhood instill in their children that they are better in all respects than their peers. As a result, the child grows up to be an egoist, who already at a more mature age begins to consider himself a celestial.
• Luck in everything... There is such a category of people whom Fortune loves. A person begins to take good luck in life for granted, attributing it to his exceptional abilities and eventually becoming an arrogant person.
• Possessing a striking appearance... Beautiful people are quite often frankly proud of their outstanding appearance. And they do not miss the opportunity to get maximum benefits, as well as emphasize their superiority over the rest. In especially difficult cases, they exalt themselves so much that they almost completely lose touch with others, since they are not able to withstand an arrogant attitude and narcissism.
• Activation of the protective mechanism... Low self-esteem can also lead to ostentatious pride, as with good looks. Fearing to be ridiculed, a person with complexes begins to demonstrate their "unique" mental abilities and put themselves above ordinary people.
• Living in megacities... Some snobs, having their homes in large cities, openly make it clear to the provincials that they are second-class people for them. Arrogant persons demonstrate their superiority in front of them, even without sometimes having education and prestigious work.
• Aristocratic roots... Pride often stems from this factor. The well-known expressions "blue blood" and "white bone" in themselves indicate that some people consider themselves the elite of society.

Important! Whatever the origins of the formation of pride, it is rather difficult to call such people pleasant persons. They have practically no friends, because few people like the dismissive attitude towards themselves.

Manifestations of pride in humans

It is not difficult to calculate people with the described character warehouse, because they behave defiantly and in some cases even aggressively:

1. Ignoring someone else's opinion... Reflections of relatives and strangers are not just not listened to, but initially refuted by arrogant people. For people with pride, there are no authorities other than the point of view of their own person.
2. Striving to be the first... You can even say that a person with such a character does not try to seem the best of the best, but considers himself to be such. Rivalry arises only if the same proud person stands in his way.
3. Unreasonable criticism of people... The imperfection of each and every one is quite clearly formulated by a person with an informal model of behavior. The illusion of greatness leads him ultimately to cruelty and a complete lack of tact when communicating with the interlocutor.
4. Selfishness... Proud people usually go to extremes, considering themselves either the center of the Universe, or possessing many hidden complexes. At the first problem, it is very difficult to maintain contact with such a person, because in order to satisfy his own needs, he is able to commit unworthy acts.
5. Desire to lead everyone... Considering even the closest environment to be small people, persons with signs of pride try to become leaders in any team. Power in this case goes beyond all the boundaries of permissible moral norms, causing discontent among the most peaceful persons who are faced with such an attitude towards themselves.
6. Inability to be grateful... Proud people take signs of attention to their person for granted. Dividing people into statuses and categories, they do not consider themselves to be obliged to anyone due to their ranking in a lower rank in society.
7. Vanity... When an individual has such a quality as pride, he cannot calmly observe happy and successful people. Consequently, persons with a nasty and arrogant character will try to assert themselves at the expense of others in all spheres of human activity.
8. Boasting... To show off in front of a large audience is the hallmark of the proud. Many of their stories about life, love affairs and rapid career growth actually turn out to be a banal lie or an indisputable embellishment of facts.
9. Pathos... If a person has pride, all his speeches will be filled with magnificent phrases and complex terms. With such a demonstration of intelligence and erudition, they try to show their education, focusing on the fact that it was received in a well-known and prestigious educational institution.

Ways to combat self-pride

Psychologists argue that such a defect over time can lead to a complete degradation of the personality. Therefore, it is necessary to seriously think about how to get rid of the existing problem.

Working on yourself while showing pride

A person cannot cope on his own only with those pathologies that seriously distort his vision of the world and his place in it. In other cases, the following ways of rehabilitating oneself as a person can be put on the agenda:

• Acknowledging that there is a problem... The first step towards realizing your dream of becoming a full member of society should be the decision to observe your own behavior from the outside. Pride is not an innate character trait, because with such a defect they are not born, but they form it in themselves during life.
• Analysis of your own ambitions... After admitting the existence of a certain problem, it is necessary to understand what exactly annoys a person in other people. You can limit communication with such individuals, without projecting their shortcomings on literally every person. However, in most cases, a detailed analysis shows that personal claims against most people are unfounded.
• Keeping a diary... It is recommended to divide it into two parts, which will describe the positive aspects of pride and the negative consequences of its appearance. After observing this pattern for a week, many people will be unpleasantly surprised by the comparison of both sections of the diary.
• Teaching humility... This quality helps a lot in life, because a person does not try to jump above his head. However, a proud man should not go to extremes and try to engage in self-flagellation instead of reflecting on his actions, while becoming a puppet in the hands of some unscrupulous personalities.
• Refusal to evaluate people... The closest circle of the obstinate and the people outside of him are not at all obliged to correspond to his criteria of morality and invented norms of behavior in society. In response to such a desire to change acquaintances or colleagues, he will receive exclusively a wave of negativity, which can be prevented by abstracting from other people's shortcomings.
• Courtesy training... Communication culture implies tolerance and a sense of tact in relation to the interlocutor. This rule should become a law for a person with a vice in the form of pride. You can also familiarize yourself with the works of Dale Carnegie "The Language of Success", "How to win people over" and "How to win friends."
• Work on self-realization... It is necessary not to suffer from megalomania, but in fact to work on yourself every day. Proud people often have a feeling of envy towards more successful people. They will not have such a negative outburst of emotions only if they themselves take place as individuals.
• Accepting constructive criticism... It is difficult not to respond to any insult with some kind of taunt, but with wise advice, you need to learn to listen to them. In some cases, someone else's experience is invaluable information. In addition, people are attracted to an interlocutor who knows how to listen and respects their opinion.
• Altruism... Confronting your own selfishness in this way will be an excellent way to combat pride. In addition, changes in behavior in this direction will allow you to expand your circle of contacts and make real friends.
• Doing dirty work... Some people, who consider themselves the elite of society, refuse any occupations that are unpleasant for them. If you want to get rid of pride, you can work in the garden or do a general cleaning of the house yourself. A new stage in life has come when it is necessary to forget about the old habits of the little haired woman.
• Refusing flatterer friends... Pride can appear even in a tolerant person, before whom hypocritical friends openly flatter. This is done both out of a desire to get closer to a person who is more popular in society, and for selfish purposes. Such communication will do nothing but harm, so it is necessary to stay away from insincere people.
• Using the Prayer of Repentance... This method of getting rid of pride will help believing parishioners. In addition, while reading it, the soul calms down, and all gloomy thoughts leave the consciousness. The words of the prayer can be arbitrary, provided that they come from the very heart.

Any of the proposed methods of eliminating pride in your soul is an accessible method for every person. The main thing in this case is to have the desire to correct the situation and establish contact with the people around.

Help from psychologists if you want to get rid of pride

In parallel with your own attempts to change your life for the better, you can put into practice the following advice from experts:

1. Mental bows method... This method is quite popular in Asian countries, which also have their own proud people. When meeting with even a person of lower status and wealth in the mind, it is necessary to bow to her. In this way, an act of respect will be performed that effectively combats the ambition of the arrogant person.
2. Projection method... If you have pride, you need to mentally imagine the internal dialogue of your friends. In a conversation with them, there were unambiguously some half hints of dissatisfaction with the behavior of the arrogant man. Thinking unflatteringly about other people, one should assume what opinion on their part they may have about the arrogant person.
3. Analysis-comparison... Antiheroes of all times and peoples have always been proud, even with their existing complexes. This list can start with Lucifer (Satan) and end with dictators who are responsible for the destruction of a huge number of people. A small percentage of patients after such a session with a psychotherapist with an accompanying thematic conversation will want to be like a person with negative energy.
4. The method of analysis of perishable glory... A minute of triumph at the expense of humiliating another person is not worth loneliness in the future after being condemned by the inner circle. When asked how to get rid of pride, one should make a virtual trip to the future in order to descend from heaven on earth and soberly assess your attitude towards people.
5. The principle of "the inside is equal to the outside"... Some factors from the outside must be changed in parallel with the correction of one's own "I". You can change the decor for a while, replacing it with a more modest apartment. It is also recommended to reconsider your diet, replacing expensive delicacies with cheaper healthy foods.
6. Group therapy... In some cases, experts recommend that proud people talk to people with the same problem. Someone else’s bitter experience is often better perceived than learning from our own mistakes. During such sessions, patients talk about themselves, recognizing the fact that they have arrogance and arrogance in their character.

How to get rid of pride - watch the video:

The question posed to oneself, how to deal with pride, already testifies to a person's desire to change his life and attitude towards other people. It remains only to heed the recommendations voiced in order to get rid of the existing problem of a personal nature once and for all.

The greatest connoisseur of the depths of the human spirit, St. Isaac the Syrian in his 41st word says: “He who senses his sin is higher than he who, by his prayer, raises the dead; whoever was honored to see himself is higher than he who was honored to see angels. " It is to this knowledge of oneself that the consideration of the question that we put in the title leads. And pride, and pride, and vanity, here you can add - arrogance, arrogance, arrogance - all these are different types of one basic phenomenon - "turning to oneself" ... Of all these words, two have the most solid meaning: vanity and pride; they, according to the Ladder, are like a boy and a husband, like grain and bread, like a beginning and an end.

Symptoms of vanity, this initial sin: impatience of reproaches, thirst for praise, looking for easy ways, continuous orientation towards others - what will they say? how will it seem? what will they think? Vanity from a distance sees the approaching spectator and makes the angry one affectionate, the frivolous - serious, the absent-minded - focused, the gluttonous - temperate, etc. - all this while there are spectators. The same orientation towards the viewer explains the sin of self-justification, which often crept imperceptibly even into our confessions: "sinful like everyone else ... ... only minor sins ... ... did not kill or steal anyone."

The demon of vanity rejoices, says St. John Climacus, seeing the multiplication of our virtues: the more successes we have, the more food for vanity. “When I fast, I am vain; when, in order to conceal my feat, I hide it, I take pride in my prudence. If I dress beautifully, I become conceited, and changing into thin clothes, I become even more conceited. Whether I will speak - I possess vanity, I observe silence - I surrender myself even more to it. Wherever this thorn is turned, everything will become its spokes upward. " As soon as a good feeling, an immediate spiritual movement appears in a person's soul, a vain glance at oneself immediately appears, and now - the most precious movements of the soul disappear, melt like snow in the sun. They melt, that means they die; it means - thanks to vanity - the best that is in us dies, it means - we kill ourselves with vanity and replace the real, simple, good life with ghosts.

Increased vanity gives birth to pride .

Pride is extreme self-confidence, with the rejection of everything that is not one’s own, the source of anger, cruelty and anger, refusal of God's help, “demonic stronghold”. She is the "copper wall" between us and God (Abba Pimen); it is enmity towards God, the beginning of all sin, it is in all sin. After all, every sin is a free surrender of oneself to one's passion, a deliberate trampling on God's law, insolence against God, although “a person subject to pride just has an extreme need for God, for people cannot save such a thing” (“Ladder”).

Where does this passion come from? How does it start? What does it eat? What degrees does it take in its development? By what signs can you recognize her?

The latter is especially important because the proud usually does not see his sin. A certain wise old man admonished in the spirit of one brother that he should not be proud; and he, blinded by his mind, answered him: "Forgive me, father, there is no pride in me." The wise old man answered him: "Why, child, could you better prove your pride than by this answer!"

In any case, if it is difficult for a person to ask for forgiveness, if he is touchy and suspicious, if he remembers evil and condemns others, then these are undoubtedly signs of pride.

In the "Word on the Gentiles" by St. Athanasius the Great there is such a passage: "People fell into self-lust, preferring their own contemplation to the divine." This brief definition reveals the very essence of pride: a person for whom God was the center and object of desire until now turned away from Him, fell into “ itself - lust ”, wanted and loved himself more than God, preferred to divine contemplation - contemplation of oneself.

In our life, this appeal to "self-contemplation" and "self-desire" has become our nature and manifests itself at least in the form of a powerful instinct self-preservation , both in bodily and in our spiritual life.

Just as a malignant tumor often begins with a bruise or prolonged irritation of a certain place, so the disease of pride often begins either from a sudden shock of the soul (for example, a great grief), or from prolonged personal well-being, due, for example, to success, luck, constant exercise of one's talent.

Often this is a so-called "temperamental" person who is carried away, passionate, talented. This is a kind of erupting geyser, with its continuous activity preventing both God and people from approaching it. He is full, absorbed, intoxicated with himself. He sees and does not feel anything except his own burning, talent, which he enjoys, from which he receives complete happiness and satisfaction. You can hardly do anything with such people until they themselves are exhausted, until the volcano is extinguished. This is the danger of all giftedness, all talent. These qualities must be balanced with full, deep spirituality.

In the opposite cases, in the experiences of grief - the same result: a person is "absorbed" in his grief, the world around him dims and fades in his eyes; he can neither think nor speak about anything, except about his own grief; he lives by it, he clings to it, in the end, as the only thing that he has left, as the only meaning of his life.

Often this self-turning develops in people who are quiet, submissive, taciturn, whose personal life has been suppressed since childhood, and this “suppressed subjectivity generates, as compensation, an egocentric tendency” (Jung, “Psychological Types”), in a wide variety of manifestations: resentment, suspiciousness, coquetry, desire to attract attention, finally, even in the form of direct psychoses of the nature of obsessions, persecution delusions or megalomania.

So, concentration on oneself leads a person away from the world and from God; it, so to speak, splits off from the general trunk of the worldview and turns into shavings curled around an empty space.

Part 2. How does this spiritual illness go

Let's try to outline the main stages in the development of pride, from slight complacency to extreme spiritual darkness and complete destruction.

At first, this is only self-employment, almost normal, accompanied by a good mood, often turning into frivolity. A person is pleased with himself, often laughs, whistles, hums, snaps his fingers. Likes to seem original, amaze with paradoxes, joke; shows special tastes, is capricious in food. Readily gives advice and intervenes in a friendly way in other people's affairs; involuntarily reveals his exceptional interest in himself with such phrases (interrupting someone else's speech): “no, what I I'll tell you "or" no, I know better case ", or" I have a habit ... ", or" I stick to the rule ... ".

At the same time, there is a huge dependence on someone else's approval, depending on which a person suddenly blossoms, then withers and sours. But in general, in this stage the mood remains light. This type of egocentrism is very characteristic of adolescence, although it also occurs in adulthood.

Happiness to a person if at this stage he is met with serious concerns, especially about others (marriage, family), work, work. Or he will captivate his religious path and he, attracted by the beauty of spiritual achievement, will see his poverty and squalor and yearn for grace-filled help. If this does not happen, the disease develops further.

There is a sincere confidence in their superiority. This is often expressed in irrepressible verbosity. After all, what is talkativeness, as, on the one hand, lack of modesty, and on the other, self-delight. The egoistic nature of verbosity is in no way diminished by the fact that this verbosity is sometimes on a serious topic; a proud person can talk about humility and silence, glorify fasting, debate the question: which is higher - good deeds or prayer.

Self-confidence quickly turns into a passion for command; he encroaches on someone else's will (without enduring the slightest encroachment on his own), disposes of someone else's attention, time, energy, becomes arrogant and impudent. Your own business is important, someone else's is nothing. He takes on everything, interferes with everything.

At this stage, the mood of the proud is spoiled. In his aggressiveness, he naturally meets with opposition and rebuff; irritability, stubbornness, quarrelsomeness; he is convinced that no one understands him, not even his confessor; collisions with the world intensify, and the proud man finally makes a choice: “I” against people (but not yet against God).

The soul becomes dark and cold, arrogance, contempt, anger, hatred settle in it. The mind is darkened, the distinction between good and evil becomes confused, tk. it is replaced by a distinction between "mine" and "not mine." He comes out of all obedience, is unbearable in any society; his goal is to lead his own line, to shame, to amaze others; he eagerly seeks fame, even scandalous, taking revenge on this world for non-recognition. If he is a monk, then he abandons the monastery, where everything is unbearable for him, and looks for his own ways. Sometimes this power of self-affirmation is aimed at material acquisition, career, social and political activity, sometimes, if there is talent, at creativity, and here the proud man can have, thanks to his pressure, some victories. On the same basis, schisms and heresies are created.

Finally, on the last step, man breaks with God. If earlier he committed sin out of mischief and rebellion, now he allows himself everything: sin does not torment him, it becomes his habit; if at this stage it can be easy for him, then it is easy for him with the devil and on the dark paths. The state of his soul is gloomy, hopeless, complete loneliness, but at the same time a sincere conviction in the correctness of his path and a feeling of complete safety, while black wings rush him to death.

In fact, such a state is not much different from insanity.

The proud person at this stage is in a state of complete isolation. See how he talks, argues: he either does not hear what they say to him, or hears only what coincides with his views; if they tell him something that does not agree with his opinions, he gets angry, as if from a personal resentment, mocks and vehemently denies. In those around him, he sees only those properties that he himself imposed on them, incl. even in his praises, he remains proud, closed in himself, impenetrable for the objective.

It is characteristic that the most common forms of mental illness - megalomania and persecution delusions - directly follow from "increased self-awareness" and are completely unthinkable for humble, simple, self-forgetful people. After all, psychiatrists also believe that mental illness (paranoia) is mainly caused by an exaggerated sense of one's own personality, a hostile attitude towards people, a loss of normal ability to adapt, and perversion of judgments. The classic paranoid never criticizes himself, he is always right in his eyes and is acutely dissatisfied with the people around him and the conditions of his life.

This is where the depth of the definition of Rev. John Climacus: "Pride is the extreme poverty of the soul."

The proud is defeated on all fronts:

Psychologically - melancholy, darkness, sterility.

Morally - loneliness, drying up of love, anger.

Physiologically and pathologically - nervous and mental illness.

From the theological point of view, the death of the soul, preceding bodily death, is hell during his lifetime.

In conclusion, it is natural to pose the question: how to deal with the disease, what to oppose the death that threatens those who follow this path? The answer follows from the essence of the question: first, humility; then - obedience, on the steps - to loved ones, loved ones, the laws of the world, objective truth, beauty, all good in us and outside of us, obedience to the Law of God, and finally - obedience to the Church, her statutes, her commandments, her mysterious influences. And for this - what stands at the beginning of the Christian path: "Whoever wants to follow Me, let him reject himself."

Denied ... and denied every day; let a person take up his cross every day - the cross of patience of resentment, putting oneself in last place, enduring grief and illness, tacit acceptance of reproach, complete unconditional obedience - immediate, voluntary, joyful, fearless, constant.

And then the way will open for him to the kingdom of peace and the deepest humility, which destroys all passions.

Glory to our God, who resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Pride ♦ Orgueil Sometime in my early youth, I succumbed to the persuasion of a friend of mine and agreed to answer the questions of the famous "Proust Questionnaire". I do not remember at all a single answer of mine, except for one, which then seemed to me ... ... Sponville's Philosophical Dictionary

Cm … Synonym dictionary

PRIDE, pride, pl. no, wives. (book is outdated.). Excessive pride (see pride in 2 meanings), arrogance. "Overwhelmed with pride, I deceived God and kings." Pushkin. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

PRIDE, and, wives. (high). Excessive pride (in 1 and 4 digits). Curb your pride. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

pride- and, only units, well, is outdated. Excessive pride. Pride seized. Curb pride. The Russian Orthodox consciousness recognizes any overly heroic path of an individual as pride ... (Berdyaev). Synonyms: arrogance / righteousness, confusion / swagger, arrogance / arrogance ... Popular dictionary of the Russian language

pride- PRIDE1, and, well The quality of character, which consists in an exaggerated sense of self-esteem. Pride prevented Varfolomeev from restoring his old friendly relations with colleagues. PRIDE2, and, well The same as arrogance. Pride seized ... ... Explanatory dictionary of Russian nouns

PRIDE- Pan Yakub Korybanovich Pride, Yu. h. 1470. Yu. Z. A. II, 108. Pride, Cossack colonel, Yu. h. 1684. Arch. III, 2, 73 ... Biographical Dictionary

J. Excessive pride 1 .. Efremova's Explanatory Dictionary. T.F. Efremova. 2000 ... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language by Efremova

Pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride, pride (Source: "Full accentuated paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak") ... Forms of words

Ascend / ascend in pride. Spread. Outdated. Be proud, arrogant, disregard others. F 1, 71 ... A large dictionary of Russian sayings

Books

• Pride and Piety. (Before the Battle of Kulikovo), Bubennikov Alexander Nikolaevich. The landmark historical novel by Professor A. N. Bubennikov highlights unknown events and little-studied chronicle pages of the confrontation between Moscow and Tver in the middle of the 14th century, right up to ...