I might not be the best judge of character but I've definitely met proud people, we all have. One thing they have in common is how dismissive they are of whatever you say. Pride stems from the inside and you can imagine how filthy the inside will be if pride is taking the front seat. You don't want to be that person nobody has something good to say about. Yes you can argue and say "who cares about what others say" but you should know that if you want to successfully see growth in every aspect of your life, you will have to adjust your attitude towards others. Get down from your high horse and relate to people the way it should be. 

Some people feel like they can't interact with someone younger than them or someone not in their clique, the "you can't seat with us" syndrome. I so much hated that phrase when everyone was using it as picture caption on Instagram or wherever. You are there hyping your "you can't sit with us" crew but in the background you really don't like the supposed crew. Who are you helping? We miss the opportunity to network with others because they don't look the way we want them to look or they don't talk like you want them to talk. All these are still part of pride, the negative pride. 

I've heard of a situation where a person rejected a job offer because the pay was lesser than expected. LOL!. You are jobless, have bills to pay and you can still complain about low salary. Wonderful. Whatever happened to "a beggar has no choice?". Some people tend to forget that life is like a ladder, you have to start from the bottom to climb to the top. Your pride will prevent the inflow of blessings and opportunities because like I mentioned earlier, pride is an inward projection of who you are, and that pride is the stubborn gate keeper. 

Relating it to students since most of my readers are students, pride is when you can't study with your course mates because you think they are not smart. Pride is when you always feel you should be top of class, nobody else is allowed to take that position. Pride is when you think you are the only one capable of answering the lecturer's questions in class and you make that evident by always jumping to  answer questions even before the lecturer asks (because well, you are in his head). Pride is when you can't share with others, everything belongs to you and you alone. Pride is when you look down on students in lower years simply because you've passed that level (if you keep looking down on the lower level, you can fall. Never forget) Pride is when someone says something and you quickly and rudely project your thoughts without understanding where the person is coming from. Pride is when you think anyone that says anything outside of your train of thoughts is foolish.. lookatchu, the pride in you makes you the foolish one.

Imagine if those above you decide to knock you down, will you be where you are? I didn't think so too. So instead of looking down on others, listen to whatever they have to say. The greatest opportunities lie in unexpected places. The person you think is not smart might be your employer tomorrow and if not employer, might be someone you'd need great help from. Accommodate people, help others any little way you can and don't shut people out because you are Queen/King Perfect. Have a good attitude towards others because when they say something negative about you, you yourself won't believe it talk-less of others that know you to be an awesome person. 

Remember this, in the near future when your brand needs to get out there, people will definitely remember you and your pride. You have to consciously aim to let go of that pride, adjust and accommodate others. Your self growth has to be evident before anyone can invest in you and your brand. If your brand stands for pride, you might as well call it a self-destruct brand. Stay humble and gracious. 

Love,

Dedun

_____

LOL - sarcastic laughing out loud

Lookatchu - the annoying grandma way of saying "Look at you"