Think back to the last time that you beat a friend at a card game or outdid your previous record in a 5K race. Did you try to suppress your satisfaction so that others wouldn’t think you were conceited? In fact, new research suggests that pride, as long as it stems from a real success and doesn’t slide into know-it-all obnoxiousness or narcissism, not only pushes us to keep trying hard but actually makes others like us more.
“Contrary to the idea that pride is an emotion that we should tamp down, the experience of pride can be very socially adaptive,” says Lisa Williams, a graduate student in psychology at Northeastern University and the new study’s lead author. She and Northeastern psychologist David DeSteno found that people who were told they had excelled on a spatial rotation task subsequently took more control over a similar, team-based task, regardless of their mood or how competent they reported feeling. Both teammates and outside observers rated proud participants as more dominant and as more likable than participants who had not been tricked into feeling proud.
]The study did not examine the signals proud people send that make others like them, but other research has shown that feeling pleased with yourself tends to change a person’s subtle nonverbal behaviors—for example, triggering more smiling or a more confident posture.
Note: This article was originally printed with the title, "Deadly Sin or Social Lubricant?"
This article was originally published with the title Deadly Sin or Social Lubricant?.
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13 Comments
Add Commentare they confusing pride w/ confidence?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhen other sins, like adultery, are studied let me know.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNot sure why you would think that. As they say, pride (in a job well done) can generate greater confidence. The other way round may not follow; if you are very confident in your ability to do a task you may not feel especially proud at the end of it, you may just take it in your stride.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat's wrong with taking pleasure in a job well done or some sort of talent? Or a great significant other or a super fast dog.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA contemptuous attitude toward pride is a particularly pernicious strain of Christianity that seeks to make everything good into bad and everything beautiful into ugly.
I think this may speak to the HEART of why Canadians do not (want to) succeed in their own country.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Pride" is a term that is too all-inclusive. It depends on which connotation one subscribes to deterimine whether it is good or bad. Not very fair to say Christianity is against all aspects of pride, especially when we are to do our best, Christianity would only be against the vain aspects of it that would put one in conflict with the first commandment.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe vain aspects of pride that would cause us to go whoring for other gods?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOr where you perhaps refering to the bit about an idol on heaven or Earth?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBecause that's one that all modern people break constantly and not one that particularly makes sense to any sensible person born after A.D. 1900.
The "other god" being ourselves - and, Christian or athiest aside, that sort of narcissistic pride is the put off to others, as the article relates.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTherefore, this article really doesn't state anything novel - I think everyone already knew there is danger in self-loathing and its antagonist, egotism. Striking the balance between the two, now that would be worthy of a study and article - both from a quantitative, case-study view as well as a theological view.
Concerns about exaggerated pride are not uniquely Christian. It is much older. I believe hubris was actually a crime in ancient Greece.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThey are confusing pride with self confidence. Self confidence is not condemned by any philosophy because it is based on a realistic appraisal of one's ability. "Pride" has connotations of an unrealistic assessment of reality in comparison to others.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPride is the ultimate expression of ego and "God" or universal truth can only be glimpsed during/following ego death. Those familiar with shamanism know what I mean. Pride must be kept in check but never can be destroyed; it is an inward form of a delusion of desire to be "better than". The problem people seem to have is that they do not like themselves unless they are "proud." This is inherent to human nature. Pride does not equal knowledge, therefore the pursuit of knowledge is not inherently "wicked." However, the ego feeds on this knowledge to manifest as pride, humility is paramount to being a satisfied person (whoever equated pride with satisfaction is way off base). Face it humans, we are limited by biology and evolution, we can not as individuals know all or be equal to God (the mathematically unifying phenomenon of the multi-dimensional multiverse).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI equate pride with admiration.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe dictionary states some synonyms:
Pride, conceit, self-esteem, egotism, vanity, vainglory imply an unduly favorable idea of one's own appearance, advantages, achievements, etc., and often apply to offensive characteristics.
Pride is a lofty and often arrogant assumption of superiority in some respect: Pride must have a fall.
Conceit implies an exaggerated estimate of one's own abilities or attainments, together with pride: blinded by conceit. Self-esteem may imply an estimate of oneself that is higher than that held by others: a ridiculous self-esteem.
Egotism implies an excessive preoccupation with oneself or with one's own concerns, usually but not always accompanied by pride or conceit: His egotism blinded him to others' difficulties. Vanity implies self-admiration and an excessive desire to be admired by others: His vanity was easily flattered.
Vainglory, somewhat literary, implies an inordinate and therefore empty or unjustified pride: puffed up by vainglory.
5. boast.
Antonyms:
1. humility.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pride , 2009)
I think that its better to be proud of others instead of ones self.
Thats akin to saying, I am a humorous and funny person. Well this may be true but for it to be valid some other person, other than yourself, would need to mention this fact since you can only be funny towards others and not yourself. An example would be if only you, and no one else, were laughing whenever you shared any joke.
The pride that is being referred to here is of a different nature.
Examples of this type of pride would include:
Not speaking to ones mother (for an extended period of time) because you do not agree with her opinions/ decisions etc. and can not compromise even with your loved ones.
Not being able to beg for food even if your life depended on it and it was necessary and no other immediate option was available, or begging for food for your kids.
Not taking medicine or seeing the doctor when you are sick.
Not accepting help when you clearly need it.
Not asking for directions when you are lost!
Not learning a new language even if you live in a foreign country: e.g. Vietnamese people who live and work in the USA and do not speak English when a customer enters their store (this happened to me and it pissed me off, big time! I am Lebanese fyi. I told them that the last time I checked the USA was an English speaking country! (I digress&)
Not accepting the truth, and living in denial. For example when your son is accused of raping a woman and there is evidence etc. but still you refuse to accept the fact.
&I am sure you can add to this list, some from what youve seen and some from personal experience.
Am I correct?
In this sense Pride is stopping you from doing the right thing, because you believe that if you did this would somehow diminish your social standing, at least in your eyes.
This is why Pride can be considered a deadly sin, because even if it feels good and right, it is not.
Yes, I have been proud sometimes, and for the wrong reasons. I at least admit it. Others can live their lives never facing up to that fact and so I pity the fool :)
Side note: I find it quite easy to manipulate and persuade people who tend to be overtly proud of themselves. To me they tend to be fairly predictable and small minded so more power to me lol truly smart and powerful individuals seldom show pride (think George W. Bush or rather dont! lol) instead they display humility (think Jesus when he washed the feet of his disciples or the Pope who imitates that act at the Vatican; think Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Lady Diana, Warren Buffet, volunteers all over the world).
Pride is a loaded word and a working definition is needed to be able to truly debate this issue.