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On June 8, 2024, Kasie and Rex started a series on the 7 Deadly Sins. Up first: Pride. Here are the show notes:

Theme for the day

Seven Deadly Sins: Pride

Agenda

• Quick Catch Up
• Seven Deadly Sins: what are they?
• Focus on Pride

Segment 1

The Seven Deadly Sins (this link) in Roman Catholic theology, are the seven vices that spur other sins and further immoral behavior. First enumerated by Pope Gregory I (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by St. Thomas Aquinas.

The sins are:

1. Pride
2. Greed
3. Lust
4. Envy
5. Gluttony
6. Wrath
7. Sloth

We’ve done these before (episodes 151–157), but it’s been a while and this time we’re going to sharpen the focus on the sins as potential stakes-raising behaviors.

According to DeadlySins.com Pride is excessive belief in one’s own abilities. It interferes with the acceptance of God’s grace and is the sin from which all others are born. It’s also called vanity. So let’s unpack that.

• Why can’t one be proud of one’s own abilities?
• What does the church gain by forcing us to be humble?
• How do others react to the acts that demonstrate pride?
• When we consider the role pride can play for a character — does it alienate others? How much pride is too much?
• Is your character made to feel bad about the amount of pride s/he has or exhibits?
• What about this acceptance of God’s grace? Is there a social equivalent for that?
• We did a whole series on motivation, so I’d like to talk about whether pride is a motivation? If so, is the character aware of it? What kinds of things are we too proud over?

Segment 2

How about some examples of Pride as a motivating factor in literature (this link)? Pride is often a character trait – think of Mr. Darcy’s snootishness or Lightening McQueen thinking he’s too good for Radiator Springs. But sometimes, Pride can be the source of the character’s actions and ruin:

• House of Sand and Fog
• Death of a Salesman
• A Streetcar Named Desire (Blanch Dubois clinging to her tattered family heritage)
• The Tortoise and the Hare (Aesop’s fable)
• Icarus
• Achilles
• Frankenstein (Victor Frankenstein unwilling to admit the mistake)
• Moby Dick
• Macbeth
• A Good Man is Hard to Find (link)

This link talks about pride and “hubris” or excessive pride or self importance. In this link, “hubris” is the negative connotation of pride, while “pride” is generally positive.

What are some behaviors of people that would indicate such things? Hubris is considered voluntary, something individuals choose to embrace.

Segment 3

There are actually different types of pride which is what makes it a great motivator and also a great character attribute. This link elaborates:

• Arrogance
• Hubris
• Vanity
• Conceit
• Self-importance
• Egotism
• Narcissism
• Haughtiness
• Snobbery
• Superiority
• Self-satisfaction
• Self-esteem
• Dignity

And, from the same link, some examples of behaviors or actions associated with pride:

• ​​Achieving a significant personal or professional accomplishment
• Receiving recognition or praise from others
• Being part of a successful team or group
• Displaying superior knowledge, skills or abilities
• Overcoming adversity or challenges
• Being associated with a prestigious or respected institution or group
• Having a strong sense of identity or cultural heritage
• Feeling superior to others based on wealth, status or social class

The same site has some physical descriptions – facial expressions and posture – that can be used to describe a prideful person or moment.

Segment 4Our previous episode on Pride (link) talks about the difference between healthy and unhealthy pride. We can discuss that for the “how to.”