Introduction
Among other feelings, one can experience, pride is particularly complex. On the one hand, it has negative connotations, even being considered one of the deadly sins in Christianity. Several sayings point out the destructive nature of pride and being called prideful is generally regarded as a reproach. On the other hand, having pride is considered vital for establishing one’s place in the community, and not having any can be worthy of admonishment. The goal of this paper is to prove that, in reality, the term “pride” covers two separate emotions that have contrasting reasons behind experiencing it.
How pride is defined
Typically, pride is used to describe a feeling that a person experiences when they are pleased with their achievements. With this definition, the chosen notion is both “a self-conscious emotion revolving around the self and as a social emotion revolving about one’s relationship with others” (Van Osch et al. 404). Depending upon the presentation of pride in any particular instance, it can serve opposing goals, which can be a self-inflating purpose, an other-distancing one, or both at the same time (Van Osch et al. 404). In the case of self-inflating intention, pride helps people become more confident in themselves. However, the reason for this self-assurance is generally comparing oneself with other people and significantly undermining their achievements. This, in turn, leads to a distancing effect being put into motion. Due to their pride, a person can delude themselves into thinking they are better than other people which causes alienation with both the person themselves and the community initiating it.
Another way of interpreting pride is by equating it with self-esteem, which implies experiencing pleasure from one’s achievement and using it to build up confidence. With this perception, pride does not act as a tool for other-distancing as it centers on one’s self rather than one’s relationships with the outside world. However, even by this definition, pride has a self-inflating effect. Nonetheless, the end goal of this process dramatically differs from the one described in the previous paragraph. With this interpretation, the achievements are determined when compared to one’s past accomplishments and not to other people’s achievements. If this is the case, pride brings happiness with one’s personal development rather than a feeling of self-created superiority.
To distinguish between those two types of pride, the first one is typically called hubristic and the second one – authentic (Yeung and Shen 606). Those terms are used to represent the two kinds of the chosen emotion as it is typically perceived that the people projecting the other-distancing kind of pride do not have a valid reason for feeling so. However, authentic pride seems to be generally grounded in reality.
Conclusion
Pride is complex as people often differentiate between the hubristic and the authentic types of it. The distinction is vital as one type is not grounded in reality, relies on portraying a false sense of superiority, and is often alienating as a result. The other one is important in its uplifting nature and drives people towards improving themselves. However, it is difficult for a person to determine whether they are projecting authentic or hubristic pride which is why this emotion is often seen both as a useful emotion and a destructive one.
Works Cited
Van Osch, Yvette, et al. “The Self and Others in the Experience of Pride.” Cognition and Emotion, vol. 32, no. 2, 2018, pp. 404-413.
Yeung, Edward, and Shen, Winny, “Can Pride Be a Vice and Virtue at Work? Associations Between Authentic and Hubristic Pride and Leadership Behaviors.” Journal of Organizational Behavior, vol. 40, 2019, pp. 605-624.