Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)
Over the next few weeks, we will explore the seven capital or deadly sins and the virtues that oppose them. Our aim is to recognize how these vices lead to other sins and how, with God’s grace, the corresponding virtues can help us grow in holiness. We begin with pride and humility.
What Are Capital Sins and Virtues?
The seven capital sins are pride, avarice or greed, envy, wrath (anger), lust, gluttony and sloth. “Capital” comes from caput, meaning “head.” They are root tendencies that generate other sins and vices (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1866). They are called “deadly” because, when allowed to become habits, they wound our love of God and neighbour and lead towards other sins.
A virtue is the opposite kind of habit. The Catechism defines it as “an habitual and firm disposition to do the good” (CCC 1803). By repeatedly choosing the good, assisted by God’s grace, goodness becomes part of our character and we become more Christlike.
Sinful Pride
The nursery rhyme character Humpty Dumpty always comes to mind when I think about pride and the fall that comes after it. Prideful people think that they are above others (even God) and so they are always right (my way is best), judgmental, and seldom open to correction.
Parents and teachers encourage us to take pride in our work and to be proud of who we are to foster confidence and excellence. However, Christianity calls pride one of the seven deadly sins. Is it wrong to feel pleased when we have done something well?
Sinful pride is not healthy self-respect or being pleased when we have done something well. Pride becomes sinful when we make ourselves the centre of everything and self-gratification becomes the measure of everything we do. Prideful people tend to help others only to appear virtuous and receive praise. Or sometimes, someone may succeed with a job or promotion and then act as though the achievement were entirely his or her own, forgetting God’s gifts, refusing to acknowledge those who helped, and looking down on those who have achieved less.
Prideful people are not grateful and only seek praise. They look for importance without service and freedom without God. Scripture tells us that “the beginning of human pride is forsaking the Lord and withdrawing our heart from our maker” (Sirach 10:12). Pride appears when we cannot apologize, refuse correction, resent being overlooked, take all the credit, or consider ourselves spiritually superior to everyone else by constantly judging them.
Why Is Pride Called the Sin of the Angels?
The Catechism teaches that Satan and the other demons were created good but became evil through their own free choice. Their fall consisted in rejecting God and his reign (CCC 391–392). The Church’s tradition recognizes pride at the root of this rebellion through attempts to take God’s place. The same temptation appears in Genesis: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). Humanity’s first sin was not a desire to become holy even though God created us for communion with him. It was choosing self over God and wanting greatness “without God” (CCC 398). Pride appears in our desire to determine good and evil for ourselves and thinking we don’t need God, Church, nor anyone else.
Why Is Pride So Dangerous?
Pride is dangerous because it hides our need for healing. Pride convinces us that we have no reason to kneel before God. How can I repent if I am perfect and never wrong? How can I receive mercy if I admit no need? Pride affects our relationships. Before God it becomes ingratitude; before others, superiority or rivalry and within us, the exhausting need to protect a false image.
Can We Take Pride in Ourselves and Our Work?
Yes, if by “pride” we mean satisfaction, self-respect or gratitude for something good. Humility does not mean pretending that we have no gifts or denying our achievements or allowing others to degrade us. Saint Paul says , “By the grace of God I am what I am,” while recognizing that God’s grace worked with him (1 Corinthians 15:10). A healthy pride recognizes that God has given us gifts, and we should develop and use them well. Sinful pride tells us that our gifts make us self-sufficient or superior. Humility means acknowledging that our gifts are real but received; therefore, we should use them gratefully in service.
Humility
If pride is an elevation of ourselves on the great wall of self-centeredness, humility is lowering ourselves from that wall and being rooted in our identity as creatures and children of God. It means seeing ourselves truthfully as we are: as creatures, sinners, disciples and beloved children of God. For example, Mary does not deny her blessedness. She declares that the Almighty has done great things for her (Luke 1:48–49). Her greatness and gratitude belong together.
Jesus is humility’s perfect model. Though truly divine, he emptied himself, took the form of a servant and humbled himself in obedience (Philippians 2:6–8). Christian humility frees us from the need to dominate, impress or receive applause. The Catechism calls humility “the foundation of prayer” (CCC 2559). It opens us to receive grace, admit wrong, learn from others and serve without needing recognition. We cultivate humility when we thank God for our abilities, acknowledge those who helped us, accept correction, rejoice in another’s success, perform good deeds unseen, examine our conscience honestly and approach Confession sincerely. Jesus says that “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11). “Who stands at the centre of my life?” Pride says me, while humility says God.
