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False Pride Erodes Moral and Spiritual Integrity |
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Written by Louay Safi
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Jan 25, 2009 at 06:07 PM |
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The right attitude of a person who is endowed with knowledge, wealth, or power should never be a sense of false pride, but rather a sense of purpose, humility, and solemn responsibility, even when these qualities were achieved through diligence and hard work.
For one must realize that the circumstances and opportunities that are vital for any human being to progress in life are never of his or her own making, but are external factors over which they have no control. False pride is the preface of arrogance, and arrogance is the foundation of all moral corruption.
Arrogance does not only waste energy and resources, but also leads to tyranny and injustice. The story of Pharaoh illustrates this dimension of self-pride that has not been nurtured through faith and humility, and has hence degenerated into arrogance and aggression. Pharaoh misread the extraordinary power he enjoyed as the head of a powerful nation endowed with great resources. He saw his power as a sign of his intrinsic greatness, and it did not, therefore, take long before his sense of self was inflated. He elated himself above all humans, and surrounded himself with corrupt people who bought their position of privilege though lavish praise and self-denigration. Surrounded by a hero-worshiping cult, he was deprived of the advice of wise men and experienced people.
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