My proverb explanation

"Pride comes before a fall."

Pride is listed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. When we think about the Seven Deadly Sins, though, we usually think about the extremes. However, there are some philosophies/theologies that see the inclination to do bad things as the beginning of doing something good. For example, gluttony is destructive when one eats to excess constantly. Obesity and health problems result. Yet, we do have a very strong desire to eat. Likewise, sloth is when someone has no motivation to do anything. The result is nothing gets done. Yet if we work hard, we have a strong desire to rest. It is the same way with pride. Pride motivates us to do a good job. A job well done feels good. However, the extremes of pride are arrogance and an insatiable quest for praise. Pride taken to its extreme is destructive. In other words, the Seven Deadly Sins contain both the good and the bad. The good happens when the inclination is controlled.

It’s like a car. The engine drives us, and the front wheels steer us. If the steering is weak, the car goes out of control. Remembering the proverb “Pride comes before a fall” is one way to keep those wheels pointed in the right direction. Left to my own devices, I will focus on increasing the power of the engine and forget that it is more important that my car goes in the right direction! When pride gets out of control, the results for me are a swelled head and sullen resentments. My arrogance will push people away, and I will not get the praise I feel I deserve. I recently became too prideful about my skills as a photographer.

Before spring break, I led the students through a unit on portraits. The final product of the lesson was a color portrait taken with professional lights and background. The results were wonderful. They were the best pictures I have ever taken of someone indoors! For the students, the experience was daunting, but the results were rewarding. After I showed them the results of our hard work and some students learned their pictures were among those I chose as the best, I felt satisfied. I had achieved my goals and produced some quality portraits for my students. My skill as a photographer produced nice results. I was proud of what I had accomplished.

But I wanted praise, not just the feeling of a job well done. But not enough came to satisfy my swelled ego. Only two parents thanked me by replying to my e-mail suggesting they view our results. I got one complaint which subsequently resulted in the removal of all the pictures from my website. And one student even demanded that I print out her pictures for free and complained that there were not enough pictures of her in the slideshow. Yet what happened to the satisfaction I felt when we had finished? It was swallowed up in the desire for more praise! Once again, pride comes before a fall, and I fell hard… again.