Pride

There are many jokes about men refusing to ask for directions or help. Men, not just women, laugh at them, because there is a lot of truth to the joke. Similar jokes also say men don't read instruction manuals. What is usually not talked about is why. Men refuse to ask for directions or help because of pride. Some will claim it is fear of judgment and the need for self-reliance. But the sources of fear of judgment and the need for self-reliance are pride.

While the English language has a large vocabulary, it lacks some words. In Bible Geek, there are a number of words for the different kinds of love. See the Love page for details. Likewise, in Bible Greek, there are several words for pride, as there is good pride and bad pride.

1) Hyperēphania (Strong's G5243) to "showing oneself above others" Mark 7:22 as part of the list of evil things that come from within a person.

2) Physioō (Strong's G5448) Conceit: To puff up, make proud, or inflate (like a bellows). It describes someone who is filled with hot air rather than true substance. 1 Corinthians 4:6.

3) Alazoneia (Strong's G212) Boastfulness, an arrogant swagger relying on unstable earthly life or possessions. Sometimes translate Pride and sometimes as boasting.

4) Tuphoō (Strong's G5187) To be enveloped in smoke, blind, or conceptually "fogged up" with conceit. It implies a state of mental and spiritual blindness brought on by pride. 1 Timothy 3:6

Biblical Hebrew also has more than one word:

1) Ga'on: Means conspicuous glory, majesty.

2) Ga'avah: Means rising up physically or spiritually. It is commonly translated as arrogance or a sense of superiority, appearing in both positive and negative contexts.

3) Gavah: Comes from a root meaning "to be high". It denotes an inner attitude of pride or haughtiness, often linked to the heart, eyes, or spirit.

4) Zadon: Means insolent presumption or overt arrogance. It represents a boiling, rebellious personality that actively resists humility.

5) Rum: Means lofty self-exaltation or lifting oneself up above others.

The opposite of pride is Humility. Scripture promotes a humble spirit, noting that God gives grace to the humble.
Is there such a thing as good pride? Pride in satisfaction is a healthy emotional state in which you feel a deep sense of personal accomplishment and self-respect tied directly to your hard work and positive outcomes. We can call this pride, but a better word is satisfaction or gratification or contentment- the fulfillment of a goal.

Science has shown that there is a big problem with Pride (not satisfaction), and that the Bible describes it correctly a long time ago. You can find this science on pride in the 2022 book "Superbia: The Perils of Pride. The Power of Humility" By Dr Steve Willing. You can find an interview with Dr. Steve Willing on YouTube at this link here.

Dr. Steve Willing was inspired to do research and write the book after he noted that the doctors at the hospital who made the most mistakes were those with the most pride; that is, the ones who thought more highly of themself than they should have. The doctors with fewer mistakes were humble and more likely to ask others for opinions and help. As a Christian, Dr. Steve Willing saw the connection with what the whole Bible teaches on pride and thinking too highly of oneself. The book treats pride as a major human flaw and humility as the solution. The book examines ancient Biblical ideas alongside modern brain science (neuroscience) on human choices and behavior. The Bible and science show, to one degree or another, that we are all afflicted by a fatal flaw: pride.

Narcissistic refers to a mental health condition marked by an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for admiration, and a lack of empathy for others, caused by immense pride. Vanity: Too much pride in your looks or worth. Arrogance: An insulting feeling of being better than others, due to pride. Conceit: A high opinion of yourself due to pride. Hubris is extreme, excessive pride, self-confidence, or arrogance that often leads to a person's downfall, due to pride. Problems with pride: Overestimating one's abilities, importance, or power; ignoring serious risks, dismissing feedback, and refusing to listen to others; overconfidence; ignored warnings. Insolence is rude, disrespectful, or impudent behavior that shows a lack of respect, often directed toward an authority figure due to pride. The self-esteem movement of the 1980s was a popular cultural and educational trend that sought to solve societal ills by boosting individual self-worth. But it made more problems than it fixed. Ultimately, it promoted unearned praise and narcissism. This narcissistic pride led to people having a lack of care for others, with an increase in crime and violence. The self-esteem movement failed because it relied on the false assumption that boosting a child's self-worth through unearned, indiscriminate praise would automatically prevent social ills and drive academic success; but it did the opposite: crime went up, drug abuse went up, teenage pregnancy went up, and poor school grades went up. The 1986 California Task Force to Promote Self-Esteem was a complete failure, and California is still paying the price, along with other states that put this program in their schools. This was due to researchers confusing correlation with causation, noting that successful students felt good about themselves but wrongly assuming the feeling caused the success, thus making narcissism prideful people. The program Encouraging Narcissism, instead of building resilience, the empty flattery fostered entitlement, grandiosity, and fragile egos that shattered under real-world criticism. ref link

The book addresses:

What is the root of most conflict and failure? (Pride acts as emotional armor that disguises fear, insecurity, and vulnerability as strength to protect a fragile ego )
How can smart people believe crazy things with complete certainty? (When high intelligence combines with psychological vulnerabilities like pride, it creates a powerful cognitive trap.)
Why is the Church so divided? (Pride)
What is the single greatest obstacle to personal success and happiness? (Pride: —specifically when it manifests as an inability to admit mistakes, a refusal to learn from others, or an obsession with protecting one's ego)
How come the "experts" disagree over everything? (Pride) Can we trust them? Should we? Intellectual pride can cause them to become entrenched in their own viewpoints. While the public often expects science and academia to yield single, clear-cut answers, the reality of specialized knowledge is much more nuanced.
. Pride causes political polarization, Workplace conflict, Marital discord, and church splits.

The Bible on Pride:

Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."
James 4:6: "God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble."
Jeremiah 9:23–24: Encourages people not to boast in their own strength, but to "boast in this: that they understand and know me
1 Peter 5:5: 5 Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
To be Biblically humble, one must surrender their pride, recognize God's supreme authority, and put the needs of others above thier own, following the example of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:3–4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
By recognizing the symptoms of pride, and replacing it with the practices of humility, this points the way toward a healthier life and a healthier church. The remedy lies in the Virtue of Humility, the only means by which we become vessels of God’s mighty power. Intellectual Humility Reduces Political Hostility: Research Affirms What Scripture Teaches. Humble Get It Right: the New Research Links Intellectual Humility to Clearer Thinking. People who are intellectually humble analyze new evidence without bias, leading to more accurate conclusions. Studies show humble learners excel at evaluating information, making inferences, and spotting their own mistakes instead of becoming defensive. Admitting what you do not know boosts curiosity, encourages active feedback, and closes knowledge gaps quickly. Recognizing personal fallibility reduces political and social anger toward people with opposing views. The role of humility in leadership and teamwork: servant leadership outperforms all other types.
Coming to Christ requires humility because it means recognizing that we cannot earn our own salvation and must completely depend on God’s grace. Scripture tells believers to have the same mindset of sacrificial love and lowliness that Jesus modeled. Acknowledge Need: Letting go of self-righteousness, pride, and the desire to earn God's favor. Receive Grace: Accepting that Christ has done the work needed for forgiveness and eternal life. Serve Others: Turning away from selfish ambition to love and serve people the way Jesus did. Isaiah 57:15 For this is what the high and exalted One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
“I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite."
New studies show that what the Bible said 2,000 to 3,500 years ago about pride is 100% correct:

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