Like Rams battling over females, so does man battle each other, through pride... One pride will overcome the next, but who wins in the end? I hate everyone's pride, but enjoy my own, that is my nature, is that considered everyone's nature? Can we ever share the same pride?
The trick is humbleness. Pride is a very strong, and natural egoic process. If you choose, your path can destroy the pride though.. but it'd take some time and work. It's probably easier to just accept we all have it in one way or another, and ignore others that flaunt theres? Much easier said then done though.. haha.
The trouble exists in looking at pride in a purely negative manner. You should take pride in good work that you do. In your family. In your roots in general. Why do you think everyones pride is in constant competition?
Cause all I've been seeing lately, is everyone bumping heads because of ego's. But I agree with you, that you should take pride in good work that you do, in your family, and in your roots.
Pride comes together when a shared goal is reached by a certain group and sometimes that pride extends beyond the immediate group that specifically reached the goal. i.e. a football team has its fans, stockholders for a company, or family members usually want to see their relatives succeed. The pride you seem to be refering to usually involves things that are petty or trivial
Pride... what is pride to me? -- When was the last time I felt really proud? It was when both of my sons competed in the 20 meter run and they both got a gold medal each. The older one was the first to run, and he beat the next guy by a mile! The younger one was next to run, and he beat the next guy by just an arm's length! Oh the thrill.... of watching them run.... Lol...
Pride is a good thing. Too much of it is called arrogance, which is a bad thing. If we are to be compared to the battling rams, it should be called competitiveness, jealousy, or envy. None of those things is much good, although competitiveness is a natural universal and more constructive than jealousy or envy. Pride is a positive feeling about yourself or your accomplishments. Why shouldn't a person be encouraged to take pride? What we should caution against is taking too much pride, placing too much value on too little and becoming petty and arrogant. If you are willing to test it, I see nothing wrong with declaring yourself better than someone else so long as you'll concede defeat if you are humbled. Maybe I can skip a rock more times on the lake than you can. If I can demonstrate that, why shouldn't I challenge you to beat it? As for universal pride, I think we build toward that in our ways. We already have collective pride (although any more as an American, I consider nationalist pride more akin to arrogance in today's climate). Groups (huge ones at that) accomplish great things and take pride in it. Sooner or later, we will have taken in the immensity of what's out there and come together and share pride in our accomplishments. That is, if the arrogance doesn't kill us first.