11 Signs You Are Prideful
How do you know you are struggling with pride? What are the symptoms of being prideful? To help you answer these questions and get rid of pride in your heart, evaluate yourself by checking out the following signs:
1. You think you are humble.
One of the signs that you are proud of is that you refuse to admit that you struggle with pride. Therefore, calling yourself “humble” is actually false humility.
To avoid this, stop telling yourself—or others—that you are humble. If that is true, then let others acknowledge that.
2. You do not accept constructive criticisms.
Proud people have a hard time accepting failures. For this reason, they refuse to be corrected. They are offended whenever their behaviors or outputs are scrutinized.
Instead of being insulted, be thankful when others correct you because it will help you improve. But, remember, you are not perfect.
3. You always want to be the center of attention.
One sign of being proud is when you always want attention and appreciation. You feel like you are the center of the universe, so everyone should turn their eyes and ears to you.
If this is your case, then it is time to stop living in the illusion that everyone adores you. Do not think that you are more important than anyone else. Instead, try living a low-key life.
ALSO READ: How to Control Pride and Overcome Arrogance
4. You are vain about your physical appearance.
Being obsessed about making yourself attractive is another hint of pride creeping into you. In connection with no. 3, vanity makes you flaunt your beauty, hoping that everyone will admire you.
It is okay to take care of yourself and evaluate your motive for being attractive. However, if it is to draw attention to yourself, maybe it is time to re-orient yourself about real beauty.
5. You do not like associating with the “ordinary” or unpopular.
Whenever you go to an event, which kind of people do you usually want to sit with? Do you immediately look for the table where the “elite” sit around? If you think you only deserve professionals and “first-class” citizens for your friends and avoid hanging out with “low-level” people, then you are clearly prideful.
To get rid of this attitude, be equal in treating people. Make friends not according to social status, but the sincerity of individuals towards you. Associating with people who do not have any title attached to their names will not make you cheap.
6. You are fond of name-dropping.
If you have the habit of talking about your connections with influential, rich, or powerful personalities, then you are certainly proud. Bragging about being connected with such people makes you feel entitled to yourself.
The people you talk with are probably annoyed listening about your “connections” already. If you admit you struggle with this, be more conscious of controlling yourself from talking much.
7. You are not teachable.
Not listening to someone who is trying to teach you something is another sign of pride. It is either you think you know things already, or you think you know more than the person. It could also mean you consider him/her inferior to you.
Having a teachable heart is one trait of humility. Whether you seem more knowledgeable than the person trying to teach you or you actually know about the “lesson” already, make sure that you show respect by listening attentively and not trying to cut him/her off.
8. You do not listen to others’ advice.
Prideful people are also stubborn. They think they know everything already, so they disregard the counsel of others. You are one of them if you brush off the advice of your parents, some elders, or anyone else.
Renew your character by starting to listen to your parents or the mature people surrounding you. Even if you disagree with what they say, give time to weigh your decision against their words of wisdom.
ALSO READ: How to Have Wisdom from God According to the Bible
9. You do not like to be surpassed by anyone.
Considering others as threats to your position, fame, and success is a result of pride. Your achievements could have gotten into your head already that you think you should always be the no. 1. Thus, when you meet people who have the potential to beat your accomplishments, you consider them as rivals.
Competition is only healthy if you compete with your past self. So instead of focusing on being ahead of others, why not focus on improving yourself?
10. You think you are too important to do mundane things.
If you think your position is so high that you cannot pick up trash, help clean up, or serve others, that is definitely pride.
Do not let entitlement make you feel like you are more important than anyone else. Great people are not afraid to serve those who are less fortunate than them.
11. You are critical to those who do better than you.
One symptom of pride that you should watch out for is being critical towards others, especially those you are insecure with. Pointing out their flaws makes you feel better about yourself and better than them.
Bitterness is the result of pride stepped on. Whenever you feel resentment towards someone who did better than you, keep yourself from thinking or saying bad comments about the person. Instead, give appreciation and be happy for him/her.
How to Control Pride and Overcome Arrogance
1. Identify the cause of your pride
2. Analyze and compare your pride in the reality
3. Seek feedback
4. Share credit and build others up
5. Admit your own mistakes
6. Be courteous to others
7. Forget the “I, me, myself”
8. Be optimistic
9. Be an active listener
10. Convince yourself that it is a sin in you
11. Look at the examples of humble people
12. Flee temptation
For the details, please visit: How to Control Pride and Overcome Arrogance
20 Ways to Get Rid of Pride Become a Humble Person
1. Do not compare yourself with anyone else.
2. Do not compete against anyone.
3. Acknowledge the strength of others.
4. Encourage those who are weaker than you.
5. Admit your mistakes.
6. Be willing to apologize if you have done wrong.
7. Practice sportsmanship.
8. Do not let appreciation get into your head.
9. Do not envy others.
10. Be content and thankful for what you have.
11. Put others before yourself.
12. Do not demand attention and respect.
13. Treat others like how you want to be treated.
14. Serve others.
15. Do not think highly of yourself.
16. Do not boast about your achievements.
17. Let others notice your strengths or positive traits.
18. Submit to the authorities set above you.
19. Associate with those who are weaker or ‘lower’ than you.
20. Always thank those who help or serve you, even in small things.
Please visit How to Get Rid of Pride for the details.
Healthy Pride is Good
Not all pride is bad. It can be good.
Good pride is a healthy, positive attitude towards ourselves and our lives. It does not mean thinking we are better than others or that we should be treated differently.
1. Self-confidence is a good pride
We should be confident, not arrogant. Confident people are realistic. They know what they can do well and try to do it often, but they also recognize what they cannot do and try to avoid those things.
2. Self-respect is a healthy pride
This is the most important aspect of healthy pride. We should respect ourselves by respecting others. Treating others well helps us feel better about ourselves, while ignoring or mistreating others makes us feel worse.
3. A positive outlook on life
If we believe our lives will be better in the future, we are more likely to make it so. Unfortunately, some people get stuck in their past and cannot see their lives getting any better. They have a negative outlook on life and feel trapped. This can be changed with some effort.
4. self-esteem
We all have things we are good at and enjoy doing. However, we also have bad habits or skills that we can improve. Self-esteem includes recognizing both of these sides to ourselves.
Healthy pride comes from within: we should be proud of what we accomplish without feeling that we deserve special treatment. Healthy pride comes from God: when he made us in his image, he gave us value and worth; he expects nothing less than excellence from us as well!
5. Optimism
Optimists believe that good things will happen in their lives if they work hard for them. Therefore, we tend to be more optimistic when working towards something worthwhile rather than just trying to get through the day without too much trouble.
Achieving goals helps us feel more positive about ourselves and feel motivated to set new goals because of this success.
6. Those with healthy pride lead, motivate, and inspire others.
They do not use their success as a way to put others down. On the contrary, they want the good of everyone to be achieved and are willing to support the efforts of others towards this end.
These people are committed, involved citizens and positive contributors in all aspects of society.
They know what they are capable of, what they can achieve, so they try it. Others see this effort and self-confidence and want to be part of it, inspiring others to succeed in whatever way possible.
7. Being able to take care of yourself.
Healthy pride means taking care of yourself and being grateful for the opportunities you have been given in life. For instance: being thankful for your family, education, job, etc. Having healthy pride means that you do not need to compare yourself with others – you are enough on your own!
People with healthy pride can see their own flaws and weaknesses. They also have the ability to assess the value of others even more than themselves because they have a more realistic view of life.
Because of this, they can make focused efforts to help themselves, improve themselves as well as helping others achieve their goals.
This positive attitude allows us the freedom to pursue goals rather than just surviving or getting by on a day-to-day basis. In return, we may find happiness instead of sorrow when pursuing our ambitions!
What are the characteristics of an prideful person?
1) Being unthankful.
Proud people are always asking for more than they have been given. Unfortunately, they consider whatever they receive as little and not enough, so they are never satisfied or contented with what they have.
They think they deserve everything good that happens to them. When they get something, they regard it as a right, not a gift from others. As a result, they don’t appreciate what others do for them.
When people are grateful, they appreciate and acknowledge what others do for them. Proud people overlook gratitude or do not have the attitude of appreciation. They don’t think about their family members as those who care and try to help them; instead, they only think about themselves.
Their thankfulness is for themselves.
2) Being arrogant.
Proud people put themselves above others and treat them with arrogance, disdain, contempt, and condescension.
A proud person will speak to his spouse as if she were a servant or child rather than an adult equal in marriage. Likewise, he will talk down to subordinates at work as if they had no value except what he assigns.
He gives orders and then treats them like dirt when they obey him—and maybe even when they fail to obey him for reasons beyond their control!
3) Being selfish.
Prideful people think only of themselves and their own needs first, not about the needs of others around them who may be suffering. They often take advantage of others.
They are not willing to help people who need it, even when they can do so easily.
4) Being defensive.
A prideful person doesn’t like to admit that he has faults or weaknesses. He is defensive when anyone points them out, so he does not improve himself and correct his mistakes. Instead, he often blames others for the things that are going wrong with him.
He may even blame other people’s success on their connections or luck instead of giving them credit for working hard and being intelligent. They make up excuses for why they needn’t change themselves even if they have problems in life.
When someone doubts a great idea that the proud one has, he feels challenged in his superiority over others and becomes very argumentative in defending his opinion. Thus, he is certain of himself when he argues that only bad ideas come from stupid and inferior people like everyone else besides him!
5) Refusing to forgive others.
Prideful people think that any injustice against them must be punished severely to feel better about themselves and especially to inflict pain on those who hurt them (even if they were the only one who was hurt).
They focus on their own rights and think they are entitled to get back what others have done, or even more.
Prideful people aren’t willing to forgive others who offend them, no matter how repentant they are or how much it would be for the good of their relationships if they did so.
6) Overreacting emotionally.
When proud people experience something unpleasant, especially when someone mistreats them, they often overreact emotionally by acting out anger.
They may yell at those around them without thinking about whether or not it is appropriate (like in front of children, you should not teach bad behavior). Or else the offended person withdraws into his shell and becomes distant, cold, and prickly.
7) Expressing prejudice.
A proud person stops people from relating to him by being prejudiced and judgmental against them.
He refuses to have friends who are not like him—in his race or religion or politics or other things he cares about above all. If someone is different (especially if they are inferior somehow), he will turn against that person rather than seek any good from their differences.
8) Jealous.
Prideful people are envious of others and want to tear them down because those people have something good that proud people don’t get for themselves.
When someone does something right, a prideful person thinks it is bad because it makes him look bad for not doing as well himself. So he gets upset at the success of others and tries to make them feel guilty for shaming him.
Likewise, a prideful person feels bitter when someone gets a gift or good fortune that he did not receive. He is jealous of what others have or do and does not rejoice for them.
They look at others with resentment when they are happy or doing well somehow—especially by having a better spouse or better kids or more money or a better job than the proud person himself has.
9) Bullying.
Prideful people don’t like it when they feel small, so they will bully others into making themselves feel bigger. They are overbearing and tyrannical with those who don’t think or act as they do to maintain their ego.
They are domineering and controlling with those around them who need guidance and training rather than bullying statements or commands to obey blindly without question.
10) Having an attitude of superiority.
A proud person believes that he is superior to others in some way and thus looks down on them with scorn or contempt or something worse. He may not express this directly, but it will likely eventually come out in abusive words or deeds if this view lurks under the surface.
Some people are proud of their money, success, social status, intelligence, physical characteristics such as strength or beauty (especially when they do not deserve these advantages), etc. These things can make a person feel superior and treat those who have less poorly to make himself feel better about himself.
Why is pride so sinful?
There is nothing wrong with being proud of what you have achieved. For example, a good parent is proud of their child when they do well in school or win a sports competition. Likewise, you may be very proud of your car, house, or job, and rightly so – they are all achievements that deserve to be praised.
But pride can become a sin when it turns into arrogance.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, was an incredible man. He helped change the world with his writing and preaching and even had churches planted in some of the most difficult places like Corinth and Rome.
Yet he writes to Timothy, ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.’ (2 Timothy 4:7) – this is a humble statement from someone who has done so much for God’s kingdom.
Pride causes us to think that we are better than others or that what we do is more important than others. It makes us believe that our achievements are entirely our own doing rather than recognizing the hand of God along the way. Pride stops us from thanking Him for His grace.
When we are proud of our achievements, it becomes difficult to accept criticism or negative feedback because we don’t think we need any help.
Pride stops us from serving others. When someone is arrogant, they think they are better than everyone else – so why serve others? They will look down on you for doing menial tasks, whereas if you were humble, you would serve others and do menial tasks out of obedience.
Pride can indeed be a sin when we are proud of our achievements, but it can also be a sin when we are proud about who we are rather than what we do.
It’s okay to say ‘I am good at mathematics’ or ‘I am an amazing singer,’ but if this becomes more important to us than saying, ‘Jesus sacrificed His life for me, and I have come to love Him deeply,’ then pride has set in.
Pride stops us from being thankful for the incredible grace that God has given us. When someone is arrogant, they think nothing of thanking Jesus for anything – because they consider themselves so great! But if you were truly humble, you would be thankful for every blessing that comes your way, whether it be something as small as a cup of water or something great like the life of Jesus.
What do the Bible verses say about pride?
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. (Psalm 10:4, NIV)
All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech. (Proverbs 8:13, NLT)
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. (Proverbs 16:18-19, NIV)
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. (Psalm 10:4, NIV)
All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. (Proverbs 8:13, NLT)
And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6, NLT)
do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. (Romans 11:18-20, ESV)
One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. (Proverbs 29:23, ESV)
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2, NIV)
The LORD detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. (Proverbs 16:5, NIV)
Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! (Romans 12:16, NLT)
Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. (Proverbs 13:10, NIV)
Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth— a stranger, not your own lips. (Proverbs 27:2, NLT)
Haughty eyes, a proud heart, and evil actions are all sin. (Proverbs 21:4, NLT)
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. (James 4:10, NLT)
Evaluate Your Heart
Many other things could give you a hint that pride is attacking you. The bottom line here is your motivation. If you do things out of selfish ambitions, then you are definitely prideful.
To prevent pride from overcoming you, you must check your motives daily. It is important that you keep your feet on the ground, no matter how high you have reached already.
God knows your heart, and if it is full of pride, He might teach you some lessons. Remember, the Bible says in Luke 14:11, “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
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I think we all have a trace of pride un us
I have looked through this and I don’t feel anything indicating I am actually prideful but I am being told that I am just because I don’t like some certain things… I don’t know what to think anymore. My conscience isn’t convicting me either so am I actually in the wrong?
If your conscience does not judge you then there’s nothing wrong.
How do you answer or respond like this? No offense, I just wondered bc Id like it if I could do the same – use the right /proper amount of words and or explainations instead of doing what I usually do – talk too much or long and respond with long , very detailed (like I am right now!!) and it may even seem unnecessary to the one’s who receive and or read it.
Hello Sarah Miller, my name is Jacob Miller. And I just have to say that upon reading your comment here, I can’t help but instantly see myself in you (as so much that everything you wrote I too am very guilty of doing & have always wished I can do better & change or make an bigger effort in trying to stop doing. B/c everyone I’m talking to or attempting to share with either get bored and/or very impatient & begin urging me to try to speed it up & get to the point a bit faster. LMAO! I was just very taken aback at coming across a female version of myself in the comments here. AND even more so, is the fact that we ALSO share the same last name too! Very cute! Anyhoo, I wish you to have a very warming, loving, & fantastic rest of your 2021 year! 💯😇🤝👍🏻😉🤗
My boy friend has all these qualities mentioned above. Yet he prides himself as being quiet, gentle and humble. Any time I point out his flaws becomes defensive and says that use my perception of him and it’s irrelevant. I’m really tired of his attitudes
hey rakiyA ITS UR MANS THATS NOT TRUE! I Cnt bwlieve u went on here to raT ME OUT
Sometimes a person can be proud of not being proud. hehehehe Many don’t realize they have it.
There are several types of pride.
And bad pride is sin. According to the Scriptures;” Pride goeth before destructions.. … Self-pity, self-condemnation self-exaltation, etc; ard members of being prideful.:)
thank you a lot for the help everybody should read this have a happy life God bless everyone
I see your point now but have not been able to see it this way in the past. Usually we only see or hear pride described as being too self absorbed, character traits that reflects too much like/love for self and whatever self wants , not the other way around. I never saw myself as prideful for feeling less than . I didn’t understand pride could mean not listening and or giving attention /time to other’s advice / suggestions. (proper/fair, which includes even when we do not agree with them or what they’re telling us. It might not be that other’s are ignoring you or deliberately putting you off, try to remember that we’re all in different places whether it’s Spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and or even physically- so, it very well might be that they are lacking knowledge, wisdom, intelligence, Spiritual fitness and or even no Spiritual guide / knowledge at all. Also , they may lack self awareness which definitely hinders us and leads to behavior that hurts others – but not necessarily on purpose. I know now that I’m guilty of this kind of stuff but my behavior/actions/words like this come from outside influences / sins of other’s. Maybe we were raised differently than they (person we consider prideful) were so whats good behavior as far as we’re concerned and or proper Godly actions /choices may not be familiar or even “Godly ” or proper to them at all. Usually followers of Christ have The Holy Spirit to guide them, direct them, teach them what’s good and truth versus what’s bad evil and lies . It’s helpful to keep in mind that we all mature Spiritually and emotionally at different places. I know I’m not as wise as some of the (most of the) other church fellowshippers / brother’s and sister’s in Christ are. I can focus on God and His Love for me (unconditional) and look to Him and only Him for answers to final decisions about life , love, and all things in between. ( We can all look to God for help with our emotional issues, our questions and fears pertaining to our mental health – help understanding better and or how God expects , wants/would like us to live with it . I feel like God is telling me to end my response here. I hope and pray you and other’s find it helpful in some way- I know God loves you and everyone else who reads this regardless of the reason any of you are here -taking interest, just happened upon it while searching – I have done this before and I like to believe God does it for His purposes , please believe that it isn’t just a coincidence or chance happening. Remember , you are not alone and Loneliness can confuse. We could be allowing untruths and or our lack of Godly wisdom and trust in God to bring negative thoughts about this into our minds . I used to see alone and or loneliness as very negative and bad and not welcome in my life at all ( if I could help it ). I felt or thought these negative things bc I saw or perceived it wrongly even thought about it in wrong ways that became irrational. God is teaching me the truth about it . His Word – the Bible is where we will learn – the old past way of seeing, thinking, and or believing will be erased and new ways , Godly ways , will take their place . An easier way to say that is like this- lies will be replaced with the truth. Only God can bring the understanding and make it real to your heart . He starts by bringing our mind and heart together ( one of the first things God does to help us) .
Thank you. This has been helpful
I loved the article! Something I definitely need to keep in mind.
This is a powerful reading and message to all for correction and identifications as known, pride wiggles into a person without knowing.
Thank you and God bless you much.
Thank you and God Bless you for telling me I have been letting the devil’s whispers of Self- Pride influence the last 14 years of my life.