Pride. When was the last time you felt proud of yourself? Egotistical. When was the last time you put yourself first above the needs of others?
What if you weren’t being egotistical at all, yet still felt proud? Sometimes, feeling proud of our accomplishments may feel like we are too big for our boots. Of course, we don’t want to make others think that we are too full of ourselves. But is it wrong to have a sense of pride? Is it even considered bad to have a big ego?
People often think that ego and pride are one and the same. Both words may appear to be closely related to being arrogant, cocky, and conceited for many of us. While there are subtle similarities between the two, ego and pride are two different concepts.
To understand the differences between ego and pride, let us first take a closer look at each word.
Your Ego
The ego is an integral part of your personality. The word ego literally translates to the ‘I,’ to mean a person in Latin. There are different iterations of what ego means in psychology. However, ego is how you regard yourself to your environment.
If the ego is neutral, how did it get such a bad rep? Since the ego is deeply-centered around the concept of ‘I,’ or the person, the ego can strongly influence actions, behaviors, and thoughts. For example, whenever we look out for our own needs or have a really positive view of ourselves, our ego is in charge. Overdoing the ‘ME’/’I mindset can be harmful, and can lead to arrogance and cockiness.
A person’s ego greatly varies between situations. Our ego can take a backseat whenever we are unsure or insecure. Meanwhile, it could be given a huge boost if we are praised or achieve something really spectacular. The important thing is always to be mindful of your ego. Too much of anything is rarely a good thing, while too little can highlight feelings of uncertainty.
Your Pride
Pride is also often attached to negative connotations. In some religions, pride is considered a deadly sin. However, pride is simply an emotion. We feel proud of ourselves for the accomplishments we have achieved or for reaching our goals. We may feel proud of the people we love for what they have achieved too.
Feeling proud can go in a positive or negative direction. Our pride can lead to self-satisfaction and pleasure. It can also allow us to feel admiration for others. Pride can serve as motivation to push and strive harder.
Alternatively, feeling too proud can poison our thoughts, making us believe that we are superior to others. The negative effect of pride can cause harm to our relationships and affect our success, as it can hinder us from improving.
Is It Ego or Is It Pride?
Therefore, ego and pride can have different impacts on our lives. A person with a huge ego often behaves condescendingly toward others, for they put a premium on self-image. While they may act self-confident and self-assured, an egoistic person’s motivation is always rooted in their insecurities. Egotistic people also often have delusions of grandeur, which do not live up to reality.
Meanwhile, pride allows a person to feel good about the attributes they possess. As a result, their insecurities may lessen or become less pronounced.
Pride is not always focused on oneself, unlike ego. We can also feel proud of the accomplishments of others, and there are ways to express our pride healthily and positively.
So is either ego or pride bad for us? The answer would depend on different factors. A huge ego can lead to arrogance while thinking too little of ourselves can cause us to focus on our insecurities. Just like ego, pride can be either good or bad. Pride is an emotion that allows us to attach meaning to how we feel. On the other hand, too much pride can also be harmful.
We all feel proud and self-confident at various points in our lives. Aim to have a healthy ego that enables you to feel proud of yourself and others without letting it go to your head!
