Pride has become a ridiculous word that labors along exhausted by over use. In fact its so over and misused that it's nearly impossible to tell whether it's a good thing or a bad thing.
We want people to take pride in their work but don't want to see pride if it's taken inappropriately. The modern example of the latter case is personified in the Al Gore-invents-the-internet fiasco. Remember how he invented the internet? No? Me neither.
I think pride is vaguely similar to a firearm. It serves to amplify whatever else is happening. Consider a hunting trip, target practice or defense of self or others in a life threatening situation versus a convenience store robbery. In one case the gun his helpful in the extreme. In the other, its a horror.
If a politician says he "takes pride" in his accomplishments, usually we will see that as good if we agree with him and as silly, ridiculous or even possibly offensive if we disagree. The experience of such a reaction (either good or bad depending on context) itself becomes a new event. It's true that its' a new event dependent on a previous event. I'm not aware of anyone ever taking pride for nothing. However, it's still a new event. And here's the thing, new events represent an invitation for good or bad and will as a result deliver their own consequence. As an example, the laughing at Al Gore's internet debacle was a consequence of him "taking pride," albeit inappropriately.
I think this leads necessarily to the idea that pride is either good or bad based on what it's being attributed to.
As with so much else, the ancient Greeks had excellent and far less confusing language in this area. There's a specific Greek word for bad pride. The word is hubris (usually pronounced hoo-briss). This word had a few very necessary and immediate associations for the ancient mind. Certainly one of the preeminent of these was this: Detached from reality. Someone imagining themselves to be greater and more than they actually were was probably the highest expression of this low crime. (Remember Al Gore?)
In ancient Greece, people suffered and even died from embracing hubris. Occasionally, they were killed for it. (I wonder if Al Gore's ever been to Greece?) Many more, suffered and died from it.
The thing that I find interesting and very sad, is that people are suffering and dying every bit as much or more now than they did 2000 years ago, as a result of choosing hubris. Now though, all we have is a context specific formulation in the form of the word "pride" that we have to vector to the vicinity of what we're talking about in order to correctly apply it. We can no longer be clear about the idea without a lot of preparation and discussion disentangling the different uses of pride. Society at large and our tastes and convenience usually prevent a clear understanding of the form and degree of the word "pride."
As awkward as this is to near the point of tragic in terms of being aware of hubris in ourselves and others, it might even be worse for what it carries along with it. Namely, the idea that pride itself is suspicious and even maybe intrinsically bad. In this formulation, we cannot take pride in ourselves without feeling trepidation.
I like to sum things when I write and particularly when I write here. I'm not going to do that today. I will only say that I think there are many many areas of morality, value and truth that cannot be plumbed properly until we start to remove or allow ourselves to be removed from hubris. At the same time we must begin to without qualification, embrace all in which we may be realistically, justly and accurately proud.
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