We constantly see pride being treated as a universal good in society. “I am proud of my kid’s achievements,” or “I am proud to be gay” are common enough to see or hear daily.
When properly deconstructed, you will understand the flaw in each statement. Take the first phrase for example: “I am proud of my kid’s achievements.” Would the parent be proud if their kid did something that the parent didn’t prefer, such as quitting their job to chain themselves to a tree?
Pride is intertwined with the ego as it reflects your ethics, so you are in effect adding a layer to your statement. The phrase could be rewritten: “I am proud of my kid’s achievements, which are good in my worldview, and are a reflection of my quality as a parent.” The ego becomes glaringly obvious when written this way.
A better phrase would be: “I am happy that my kid is making progress on what they believe is important.”
“I am proud to be gay” should be reworded to “I am gay, I am happy with myself, and I am happy it is getting more and more acceptable in society.”
A reminder that I have discussed why self acceptance should be the default:
It feels dystopian to have to point this out in 2024, but this is certainly a reminder to never take philosophical ideas for granted. One day everyone understands why something is bad, and the next day propaganda overwrites thousands of years of wisdom.
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