Is Being "Prideful" ever good?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Yan Song on October 14, 2010 at 11:22pm

Hi Gerry

Good to hear from you!

I tend to agree with the "luminaries" that pride is essential for human well-being. Having said that, anthing human has two-sides. So humility is a necessary companion of healthy pride. Enough intellectual talk. Just look at the faces of the 33 miners, the President and the enitre nation of Chile on all TV screens in the past a few days, joy is a vast understatement of their emotions. Pride is most appropriate and deserved. There can be no real commitment without a personal sense of pride for doing the right thing, whether in adults or children. Responsibility is only part of the equation, the more passive side for that matter. Pride taken to the extreme of arrogance can indeed lead to destruction. But again, what doesn't for mere mortals? Pride is definitely not an American phenomenon but universally human. One of the core values in Chinese culture is to "save face" or allow each other maintain the appearance of personal dignity or pride. Violating someone's pride in public is considered the worst social offense. Even such great sounding virtues have unintended side effect. For one, people tend to pay more attention to appearances than substances; for another, niceties don't solve tough problems and end up promoting back stabbing of all kinds out of life neccesity... The Oriental Syndrome is real and deadly! The biggest cure has been the start of industrialization in China 30 years ago. It's been much more effective than anyting else China has seen, including Communism ...

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion