Pride

Pride is a complex emotion directed at one’s self. It can lose wars and destroy relationships, or it can revitalize and carry us when there is nothing left. Pride is an auspicious animal, when we fall it helps us to stand, dust off, and carry on. It may also be the last vestige to bring us to our feet when we wake. But it can also blind us to our surroundings, causing us to disregard others feelings, lack in empathy, hurt without recognition, and create a barrier stopping us from letting feelings in or out. It’s all in the balancing of the beast, pride must be tempered so as to allow us to love fully and also prepare for the battles ahead.

Sometimes we must swallow our pride and let others under its shell to truly feel and be felt at the most basic level. Family, friends, lovers, it is important in life to have a certain number of people that know all of your depths good and bad. Life cannot be fully lived without it. Of course this comes with the risk of having our pride hurt and for others to use this knowledge against us. So we must choose wisely but not allow fear to keep us from living.

Sometimes we must wield our pride against those that belittle and point out our faults trying to make us question our worth taking away our sense of peace and happiness. It can do this for us, like a shield it can be battered and dented, but at the end of the day can be hung on the wall while we commune with the ones we love, the ones that love us.

In my life I have noticed many people will help you and give advice based on their level of happiness and pride in life. They want you to be happy, as long as you are not happier than they. Their own pride keeps them from truly opening their hearts to share with you their true wisdom and knowledge keeping their deepest most valuable beliefs locked away. Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes so built in to their psyche invisible even to them.

Out of pride I have a certain fear of sharing this writing, but if I don’t then I am not being who I truly am.

Kevin A Moore