Atheists: Do you consider pride in yourself to be a bad thing or is it a virtue?

Question

By pride I do not mean contentment, satisfaction, or high opinion of oneself or works.

I mean the Pride in which a person desires to be above others and more powerful than others for no other reason than to be above others and more powerful than others. To be prideful of being richer, cleverer, wiser, stronger, and more powerful THAN SOME OTHER PERSON and to feel pleasure when the competitor is found to be wanting. Furthermore, if you consider this a bad thing, how often do you successfully stop yourself from being prideful?

I address this specifically to you because Christianity tends to consider this the "great sin", the idolatry of the self, and will go so far as to say that pride is the source of all those other vices (i.e. hatred, indifference etc).

Although this might not be directly associated with belief or disbelief in a deity, I want to see if there is any type of other correlation. What is you opinion?

I should also note that the type of pride I am talking about necessarily means that the prideful person will not be content until he is better than ALL other persons. So it goes on and on and on.

Godless,

I always thought atheists became atheists because they read the theistic scriptures front to back and found them wanting.

This is not an insult in disguise though if you don't believe me you are welcome to wait and find out.

Answer 1

Pride is not an affective power. It's very misleading in nature. For instance, pride can have you acting as if you know something, when you don't (president Bush), every word out of your mouth can be laced with pride that to everyone else is so far from reality, however your convinced that you are right.

Vulnerability is a far more powerful tool. You can take in information without ego and use it as you wish.

Answer 2

I don't think it's a good thing, because it's coming straight out of the ego, and it's never a good idea to let emotions or your imagination run your life. I read in Desiderata, "If you compare yourself to others, you will become vain and bitter, for there will always be greater and lesser persons than yourself." That just makes sense to me, I see the kind of pride you describe, not as a sin, but as psychologically unhealthy. I might be a great cook, but the lady next door can sew circles around me, each of us is good at some things, not so good at others, it's just diversity. For me to look at her and say, "Well, we'll just see who can sew!" and start competing with her would be a waste of time. I wouldn't get anything out of that.

For me, it ties into my world view because I only have this one life to live, and I can't spend it competing with everyone else. All I can do is try to be the best person I can be, basically competing with myself.

I will tell you this: anyone who looks at another human being and thinks, "I am going to heaven when I die, and that person is not" is guilty of the exact kind of pride of which you speak, and that is the biggest reason why I'm an atheist. I have read the threats of Hell posted here many times, and the pride shows through in those statements. It's a smug, egotistical, gloating kind of pride, and it's very disturbing.

Answer 3

I almost feel as though this question is an insult in disguise, but I believe in healthy levels of pride. I've heard about how Christians are not prideful...but they ARE prideful of their faith. I've heard how Christians do not hate, but they show hatred here every day for people who do not believe as they do and for homosexuals. I've heard how Christians don't believe in idolatry, yet they pray to saints and idolize men considered "reverent"...i.e. Jerry Falwell and other televangelists. I feel I have a healthy sense of pride...equal to Christian pride. I don't feel superior to anyone, but I am proud that I saw through the lies and can live and think the way that makes the most sense and with reason.

Answer 4

I won't pretend to speak for all atheists, but this is my personal take. There are lines, I think, that have to be crossed before one passes from 'competitive' to 'prideful'. Competition is healthy because it keeps everyone aspiring to greater things. Pride of the kind you describe, on the other hand, is potentially damaging to the greater community. It means a lack of empathy and a lack of desire to aid one's fellow humans, which is anti-social behavior. (Not to mention, dealing with people who have that kind of arrogance is really irritating.)

How do I stop myself? Er. I don't, really. I'm pretty arrogant. I don't really like other people that much, but I do remind myself daily of the duties we all share to combat social injustice. And I have friends I dearly love and respect who would knock me down a peg or three if I were to start getting too prideful.

Answer 5

I think that kind of pride is not a good thing. It can destroy relationships and the person indulging in it is almost certainly in for a rude awakening. I tend to be a bit too self effacing for my own good.

Answer 6

I think the first pride you descried is a virtue.

I think the second pride you describe is definitely self defeating and damaging, both personally and socially.

I am typically very humble, so pride as you described it is not part of my character.

Answer 7

Pride in one's achievements is good.

This - "a person desires to be above others and more powerful than others" - is NOT pride in my language, culture, country or set of life-time family, friends and acquaintances. ... It is an unheard of concept.

You have grossly warped the word 'pride', IMV, IME, IMO.

Answer 8

The word your describing is not "pride".

Answer 9

no pride,and it's not a bad thing to be an atheist...it's good

Answer 10

I'm proud to say that I'm the most prideless person you will ever meet.