Wednesday, June 8, 2011

The Right to Heritage...Pride

Pride is of three kinds:
 individual (self-esteem), group (group esteem), and national (patriotism),
moving outward from the self
in progressively larger, concentric circles.

It is an emotion and it is a perception.
With each of these subjective views,
there is the danger of distortion of the truth.
The resulting illusion can be beneficial or harmful.

When the distortion is unexaggerated,
positive benefits of pride may be
 loyalty, devotion, allegiance, and dedication.
I suggest this positive pride
as the Right to Pride.

Pride as a distorted perception with limits,
may have some benefits.

According to 20th century philosopher Ayn Rand,
pride is a virtue,
which allows
“the realization of one's ultimate value, one's own life.”
Pride expresses the value we place on our lives.

How are you proud? 
How do you exercise your Right to Pride?



41 comments:

Anonymous said...

Self-esteem isn't bragging about how great you are. It's more like quietly knowing that you're worth a lotIt's not about thinking you're perfect — because nobody is but knowing that you're worthy of being loved and accepted.The right to pride is a right everyone should practice.---Lauren Franco

Dan said...

"Pride goeth before a fall." -- Biblical proverb

I'd like to add that it would be wise for one to temper their pride with humility, lest it transform into hubris.

Dan M.

Anonymous said...

Having pride isn’t something to be ashamed of, it’s something that you’re proud of as being yourself. Although there is a thin line between arrogance and pride, pride should not be left behind. Being proud encourages a person to keep on going in the direction they are currently on. As long as the individual is knowledgeable of where they stand and don’t take things to an extreme or exaggeration, pride is acceptable.

-M.Quintanilla

Anonymous said...

The right to pride goes way back to even before we felt it. Pride is about having an upperhand, but it also depends how it is being portrayed. Having pride is being proud yet extremely alert. Even back in our World Wars, pride existed because it gave the ability of the right to power. Also, pride can be a branch root from insecurity or overly comfortness in ones own skin. Pride is a device that not everyone can use.

- G.R.

Anonymous said...

When self-esteem is distorted, so is the right to pride.

-GR

Anonymous said...

There is a fine like between being proud and being pretentious. People who have pride seem to be happier than most people since they don't have insecurities. I think everyone should know their self-worth and not think less of themselves.

-Alli Brecht

Anonymous said...

"Pride is seldom delicate, it will please itself with very mean advantages; and envy feels not its own happiness, but when it may be compared with the misery of others” - Samuel Johnson. Everyone should have the right to pride and feel good about themselves. Pride is not meaning you are bragging but its more of an up lifting feeling.
-Krystal Garcia

Anonymous said...

I'm proud to be in a position in my life where I dont need to lie to nobody for anything. I'm proud of who I am, where I've been, and where I'm going.

Carlos G.

Anonymous said...

Pride is both man's greatest attribute and downfall. We as people naturally have pride in who we are, what we believe, and the way we act. But what some people don't understand, is that thanks to pride, people keep dying from poverty, innocents get convicted of crimes they did not commit, and some people are even killed for it. But i thinks its healthy to have some personal pride, as long as we don't abuse it.

Alexis Herrero

Anonymous said...

I teach dance classes about 3 times a week to a wonderful group of girls. When ever the dance studio has a recital and I see those girls on stage, I have pride in both them and myself. It's a very rewarding feeling to be able to experience pride in two ways at one moment in time. I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything in the world. -K.A.S

COL said...

Pride is something only you should know that you have. I feel that when other people recognize it then it can be a real hindrance. It is important to realize that pride is not just spoken, but can be seen in our actions. I personally have pride and only show it to be an example to others so they know that believing in yourself is okay.

~COL

LML said...

Having pride is good to a certain extent. It is very good to always believe one is capable of doing anything, and always keeping ones head held high. But when pride gets to the point where one feels they're better than anyone else and that it is acceptable to downgrade others, then the feeling of pride is being used negatively.

Anonymous said...

To have pride is to take pleasure in an accomplishment. However, there is a fine line between being proud and being conceited and arrogant. “Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real”. A quote by Thomas Merton

N.Av

Anonymous said...

I think every person has some degree of pride but like with everything there needs to be a balance. I believe that we need to love ourselves for who we are not for what we have or for what we do, know that we are loved by God. We also have to remind ourselves constantly that we are not better then anyone else because I think that this last point is a big problem in our society. That is why I agree with the right of pride and I like to ad the right to be humble. (LCL)

Anonymous said...

Pride... I use to have to much of it, I had to change my ways. Having too much pride cost me goin to states in wrestling while being rank top in states my senior year.
It's ok to be prideful but not to much..
A Lazo

Anonymous said...

I am proud of myself. I am proud that I had the courage to leave my home country to give my children better opportunities. I am proud that I am finishing my career. I am proud that I have faith in myself. Etel

Anonymous said...

In our society and in almost every society preceding us, all individuals great, good and average, are judged by history in terms of their achievements. These achievements can be defined as personal such as one’s occupation, i.e., doctor, lawyer, etc., or a sense of national pride in the proficiency, for example, a soccer or baseball team. On a very deep lever group pride or the pride of a certain ethnic group can define an entire culture such as their music, food, diction and their entire way of live. By: LBJR

D.Zabala said...

I believe in the right to positive and honest pride. People many times get caught up with and blinded by their pride even if they know they are at fault or are even held back from it. I am proud of myself as a person and what I have accomplished, but not to the point were I am going to settle down and not try to make myself a better person or accomplish bigger goals in my life.

Anonymous said...

I am proud of myself for working really hard to pursue my dream even though my dream comes with a lot of rejection. It was hard, but I was persistent and I'm proud of my accomplishments. If I hadn't worked as hard to achieve my dream, I wouldn't be as proud of it.
-A.B.

Anonymous said...

Pride is a powerful word that carries not only significance but a negative coontation aswell, it quite frankly means to almost hold an arrogance or some sort of pompus attitude towards one craft or mastery.
F.H

Anonymous said...

There is nothing wrong with pride in my opinion, as long as it is geared in the right direction. Being proud of an accomplishment, of your children, and of yourself are fine. Yet, we have forgotten what pride can do. It can blind us. It can make us think that we are on top, when we are actually falling down.

Sheeda M.

Anonymous said...

Pride is an emotion that can be a vice if used to inflate the sense of one's personal status, seeing yourself grander than others. But when used as self-directed satisfaction in accomplishing personal goals it becomes a virtue.
-Ana DM

Anonymous said...

There are so many things that I am proud for. Life has giving me the opportunity to be able to cherish myself and those around me. I am proud of my family and the values they planted in me, I am proud of the things I have accomplished, I am proud of my beliefs, but overall, I am proud of the person I have become.D.C.R.

Anonymous said...

Pride is basic for succeeding in life; without being proud of ourselves, the community we belong to, and ultimately the country were we reside we won’t be able to achieve the goals we are pursuing.A.L.

Anonymous said...

When I was in a christian school, I was told pride was a sin. I find this to be comepletely wrong and I believe pride builds a humans self-esteem. Without pride we probably would never set goals or even accomplish anything. I am proud of a lot of things I have done but I only take pride in the ones that I earned when no one else would dare to do what I have. Robert S.

N.Cruz said...

Self Esteem is the confidence and respect you have for yourself. Pride is a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired. You don’t necessarily have to be proud of just yourself, but also of loved ones. I don’t think that having pride means you’re stuck up or arrogant. It all depends how you express yourself that can make others feel that.

Anonymous said...

I am proud to be in school and to be working. Pride is just another way to say that your happy with what your doing and how your life is going. There is some who are to prideful and can not except the fact that they are wrong once in a while, and it sucks to have to deal with people with that mentality. G.A.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to agree with Dan in this one. Pride is a great thing to have because it's our happiness with our self-image, but if it's not accompanied with some humility, disaster is bound to happen.

Javier H.

Anonymous said...

I agree with this right and don't think enough people take pride in what they do or have achieved in their life time. I am proud of myself and what I have accomplished in my life.

Sarah M

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to pride, and I also would agree with the right of self-proud. I think people should never regret of the things they have done and that they should always be proud of them. On the other hand, we have to be sure of the things that we are proud of; Henry Ford once said, "A man given to pride is usually proud of the wrong thing". Therefore, be proud of yourself and of the things that you have done as long as they are considered as good.

I am proud of what I am and about the things that I have done.

H.D.A

Anonymous said...

Pride is what keeps us involved in a cause. Without it we lose interest and become mediocre. The problem with pride happens when it blinds us from the cause and detains us from our goals.

LC

Anonymous said...

Everyone needs to have pride in themselves. Without this people would'nt put forth maximum effort into anything they do. I joined the military because I have pride in myself and pride in what my country stands for. C.M.A.

Anonymous said...

Pride is a crucial part of human nature. It lives in every one of us and thrives. I think that it is necessary if not in excess. Like others have mentioned it ties in with loyalty. Without pride there is no loyalty
-Ma Mo

Arturo A. said...

Pride is something that can be easily criticized by others. As a member of a Fraternity, My pride and values toward my organization is great, but every thing you do gets criticized. Putting great dedication and devotion into my organization for the simple fact of helping others, is my motivation. I take lots of Pride in what I do, and what my Organization does. I agree with the Right to Pride.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to pride as long as the pride is justifiable.

Stefan H.

Anonymous said...

Pride can have a negative and/or positive effect on someone’s life. When a person has pride, it is most likely that people don’t take advantage of them. The person has some kind of back bone and self respect for him/her and for the people around him. However, if someone has too much pride, they will not admit when they are wrong or make a mistake. This can harm several of relationships and can even destroy them.

Angel M.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to pride especially to the children getting picked on at school. They should realize that they too are valued. I know that its hard to get back up after you've been knocked down hard emotionally but the feeling of self value is so much greater. Positive pride is what I am agreeing with to encourage loyalty as a leader and self respect. Pride can be dangerous if not balanced,for it can become negative ego and evolve into ignorance.-D.E.C.

Anonymous said...

I agree with the right to pride. I exercise my right to pride when I stand up for myself, my heritage, my country and what I believe in. I demonstrate my pride when I go out, how I wear my clothing, proper hygiene, how my attitude is, and having manners. This is my pride.
Chelsea M.

Anonymous said...

If we were to live in this world without the right to pride then we would all be wicked backstabbers. Pride is the form of loyalty to oneself through sheer belief we can not be told otherwise. Pride is what keeps many of us within the boundaries of sanity, it is the ultimate aphrodisiac to some of us and the ultimate exaggeration that one can brag about themselves through sheer pride. -J.J.V.

Anonymous said...

Pride can be a double edged sword because if we abuse of this right it can become a real problem for us, being that it can take us to be too proud about every single thing we do, say or represent. And there is the other side where having no pride at all can take us to be disappointed, sad, have low self-esteem and no loyalty whatsoever to oneself, a group or the country. I believe is good to have the right to pride but knowing how to balance it so we harm no one. O.V.

Anonymous said...

Pride is what helps us strive in our lives. It is what helps us get over some of the obstacles we are faced with. Without pride we would not be able to push ourselves to strive. With all the pride we have we have to be humble and that is the key to a perfect pride. -ABL