Editorial August 30, 1947 Issue

LET US LEARN FROM NAAMAN

Paul Stark Seeley

Probably the most revealing definition of pride that has ever been given is this: "Pride is ignorance." It is in "Miscellaneous Writings" by Mary Baker Eddy, page 2. She thus tumbles down from its self-erected pinnacle of egotistical superiority, into the pit of worthlessness, one of the depraved qualities of human thought. On page 115 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" pride is classified with hatred and deceit.

Ruskin observes that "in general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes." He might have added that it is also at the bottom of many lesser mistakes. Decisions motivated by pride are devoid of the wisdom which accompanies humility. One dictionary tells us that pride is "a high or overweening opinion of one's own qualities, attainments, or estate; inordinate self-esteem."

Pride can never be more than ignorance, because it is not derived from the universal, all-knowing Mind that is God. We isolate ourselves from intelligent being in whatever degree we are proud. If on some subtle pretext we cloak ourselves in this worthless garment, which we may believe is becoming to us, we can be sure that to discerning friends it belittles rather than exalts us. And always it hides the priceless quality of humility, apart from which our manhood can never be found. Man is not a proud-minded mortal; he is the highest, yet the humble, idea of causative Mind.

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