Dear Editor,
“There is perhaps not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
John Maxwell writes, “As flawed human beings, we all fall into prideful traps from time to time. However, failing to recognize the error of pride and change course will doom our leadership. Pride is a fatal character flaw and leaders that leave legacies have their character intact. Leaders who fail to prune their pride will meet demise. That’s not a guess, it’s a guarantee. With pride, it’s not a matter of ‘if’ we will fall, but ‘when.’ There are no exceptions.”
I want make a confession: the greatest sin in my life is pride. The Bible teaches that “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughtiness before a fall.” I believe I’m not the only one who struggled with pride. Pride is one of our country’s greatest weaknesses.
I believe Guyanese are prideful people. Very often, I hear some Guyanese boast about how much money, how many houses they have, and how many “big” people and politicians they know. One of their favourite sayings is, “I’m a big fish in a small pond.” By this they mean, they’re a one of the few wealthy people in a small and poor country.
However, you don’t have to be wealthy to be prideful. I’ve met some people who aren’t wealthy but just as prideful. These people are prideful because of their important position in society and the important people, they know.
The sad thing about pride is that it infects everyone – religious leaders, politicians, businessmen, and ordinary people. Take for example the story of Alexander Hamilton who was one of America greatest national heroes, he was a prideful man.
“By merit of his accomplishments, Hamilton should be one of our greatest national heroes. Consider his contributions to America: Revolutionary War hero, George Washington’s chief of staff by age 22, America’s first Secretary of the Treasury, designer of the nation’s banking and finance system.
“Yet, despite displaying the greatest blend of legal, political, and financial knowledge of the founding fathers, Hamilton does not rank among the foremost heroes of our country’s history. Why? Pride. Hamilton’s self-importance and inability to take an insult alienated those around him and sabotaged his career. His ego literally killed him. Far too vain to patch up differences with fellow politician, Aaron Burr, Hamilton was shot and killed by Burr in a duel at the age of 49,” writes Maxwell.
Maxwell says that the problem of pride is that prideful people are blinded by their self-centredness and arrogance. Pride renders us unteachable, and prideful people assume they know everything. Pride deafens us to the advice or warnings of those around us. As Stephen Covey has said, “It takes humility to seek feedback. It takes wisdom to understand it, analyze it, and appropriately act on it.” Without humility, we care about only one opinion—our own. Pride prevents us from admitting mistakes.
The Duke of Wellington once haughtily drew himself up to his full height and thundered to one of his staff officers, “God knows I have many faults, but being wrong is not one of them!” The egotistical leader blames mistakes on others, justifies them as inevitable, or refuses to acknowledge them. Because of arrogance, ignorance, or a little of both, leaders start taking shortcuts that compromise their values. In their conceit, they think they’re above the rules or are too smart to get caught.
Maxwell continues, “Pride hinders us from reaching our potential and it destroys relationships. ‘The Celebration Principle’ says that the true test of relationships is not how loyal we are when friends fail, but how thrilled we are when they succeed.”
In closing, as a society, individuals, and country, we need to examine ourselves for the sin of pride and subdue it, or it will destroy family, our lives, and our country.
How to correct the pride problem?
Maxwell says, “The first step is to realize that one is proud. If you think you are not conceited, you are very conceited indeed.”
C S Lewis said, the second step is to admit your pride. Practice serving others, while Albert Einstein wrote, “The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule.”
Yours faithfully,
Anthony Pantlitz
