There are two types of pride.
One is described as, “a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority.” This is the type of pride that the wise King Solomon warned us about when he wrote, “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall.” Yes, this sort of arrogant pride is what drives people away from you. Be very wary of that.
However, there is another type of pride. This one is defined as, “pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself.” This is being proud of what you have accomplished. This kind of pride is lacking a great deal in our society today where conformity is often valued higher than imagination.
It may seem harsh to say, but it is true. Unless the imaginative is really just being weird in disguise, the value of it is marginalized so much it is often considered to be a rarity. This is not true. Every person has a unique reason to be proud of what they have accomplished in life.
Many try to say that an individual accomplishment is not truly won by the individual. I have heard it said that if someone may have helped an individual with their project, what it may be, therefore it is a sort of false pride that they have in their work. That individual should not take credit for their accomplishment. A few have fallen prey to this and when they do something big or important, they take false humility in claiming that they could not have done it without support. False humility is even worse than pride, but that is a whole other topic.
It may be true that help was given to you, but if you did it, with your sleeves rolled up as part of team or by yourself, take pride in your work and hold your head high. You still did it and you should be proud of the quality of the work that you did.
What if things had gone differently in the Industrial Age? What if Henry Ford had given up after his first failure in creating cheaper automobiles? Instead, he kept on innovating. He famously said, “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Here is a man who did not conform, but instead took pride in his work. Not only did he invent a better automobile, but he changed the way businesses run to this day.
Do not be afraid of taking credit for your accomplishments. If you were successful, you have a right to celebrate. Do not become arrogant, but acknowledge the hard work and the effort you put into whatever you have succeeded in. It does not matter whether you are a doctor who found a cure, an athlete who won the gold, an engineer who built a better engine, or a self-starter who founded your own successful business, be proud and take pleasure in your work. It is your success after all.
