Does pride come before a fall?

What is it that you guys pride the most and cherish the most? Are there certain aspects of your various characteristics which you take pride in and ensure to nurture and strengthen every day, or are there certain things you have which other people around you don't have or wish to have? I'm pretty certain that almost every human being has something to be proud of, or at least something they cherish day in and day out. Whether it be a certain strength at a sport, a certain branch of knowledge and intelligence, a certain form of art, a characteristic, or even a certain physical quality, it doesn't matter because everyone has something they try to offer or show or make use of in their everday life. To be a bit more broad and general, take for example, the student. The student tries to be diligent, and attempts to finish his or her work, assignments and tries to be as humble, honest and well-mannered in class in order to maintain his or her reputation and to leave a positive impression on his or her peers. He or she may take pride in his or her work ethic, intelligence and even sophistication, but may not do so in such an explicit way. The same goes with athletes, who are particularly fit and have great finesse and skill in the physical arts, and painters who have a great sense of creativity and visuality. These people may not bloat and brag about their abilities on a daily or weekly basis, but may instead show such flamboyancy DURING the activity of their strength.

Although this may not be the case, think of these scenarios. When you play with very skilled soccer, hockey or basketball players, or take up a new group activity, do you ever encounter people who either laugh at you, ignore you or treat you as an inferior being by constantly blaming you or scolding you for not doing something right? If they have, then they're already showing pride. Pride should be proven in order to be called pride. If a person claims he or she can do something remarkable, and yet cannot do it, that person is not prideful. That person is boastful, or a hypocrite. When a person is actually able to do something, and brags about how much he or she can do without sharing his or her knowledge or expertise, that person is too prideful, and will subsequently feel the negative effects from his or her peers in short time. Pride can be a good thing, because it shows the competitive nature of a person, and his or her willingness to compete and to improve his or her abilities. But when a person abuses his or her pride where he starts to degrade and insult others, then there is a problem to be dealt with. So, yes pride can come before a fall, but not all the time. It's rather, a fall comes with too much pridefulness, or something along the lines of that. So, just remember: if you are extremely efficient in something, take the time to guide others or teach others in a very humble and respectful manner. You'll never realize how fun and interesting teaching or guiding a person can be, especially for those who want to feel more mature and individualized. Peace.