Pride is an Evil Green Monster

Actually, pride is a lot of colors. It's black because it shows the dark side of people. It's green because it makes me ill. It's red because it makes my blood boil. It's yellow because in truth it is usually hiding cowardliness.

Pride is a difficult emotion to define in our society because it is used to describe so many different things.

Pride. n. (1) A sense of one's own proper dignity or value; self-respect. (2) Pleasure or satisfaction taken in an achievement, possession, or association: parental pride. (3) Arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment; haughtiness. (4) A cause or source of pleasure or satisfaction; the best of a group or class: These soldiers were their country's pride. (5) The most successful or thriving condition; prime: the pride of youth. (6) An excessively high opinion of oneself; conceit.
(7) Mettle or spirit in horses. (8) A company of lions. See synonyms at flock1. (9) A flamboyant or impressive group: a pride of acrobats.

Now, obviously, I'm not talking about self-respect. There is nothing I want you to suppress less than self-respect. I'm talking about arrogance, haughtiness, and conceit. It is one of my pet peeves. For all of you girls out there who think you like assertive men, remember that there is nothing more unattractive than arrogance. These are the people who are above rules, morality, and assistance. They know everything about everything. It is a true expression of ignorance. These people would cut off their own nose to spite their face. They would do harm to an innocent to get back at an enemy. They have lost all concept of the greater good. They are completely self-absorbed, self-seeking, and selfish. Everything they do is done to benefit themselves. They are a cancer. And what is always most difficult for the rest of us to come to terms with is that they will not change until they want to change. Can you image how difficult it is to get someone who is so completely selfish to want to change? It makes you want to pull all of your hair out and begin banging your head against the wall until you pass out. Aggravating does not even begin to describe it.

So, tell me, what kind of pride do you hold? Is it the kind that benefits those around you or only yourself? Are you the cancer that is bringing your own destruction? Or is there someone in your circle of friends who is the cancer? To what extent do you sacrifice yourself to make that person happy? Cancer is a difficult thing to cure. If you catch it early and keep it under control, then you can make a full recovery. But if it is allowed to grow and spread, then it will destroy everything.