Pride and arrogance

PRIDE has been named as the greatest among all sins. It is because of this that man had fallen into the clutches of the devil. It was pride that made “Eve” destroy the relationship of man with his Creator.

On the other hand, arrogance is a manifestation of man’s pride. It is a negative attitude where one boasts of his nothingness and often his limitations. These are two great evils that destroy man’s relationships and existence.

A great man once told me that, when I reach the peak of my career, I have to bow down and be reminded of my sinfulness and my limitations. He would advise me not to walk with my head over other people but to walk as equal to others or even so to be servant for others.

“Use your position and your title as a great opportunity for you to use this as a means to help others and the ease the burdens of other people.” His reminders often bang my ears: “Do not be like those with high academic titles who have complicated solutions to simple problems but have simple solutions to complicated problems. This is the essence of your existence.” This is the very words that my mentor, the late Sir Faraon Lopez told me.

A mentor of mine also once said, “Do not let laurels and honors go to your head but rather be lowly and humble as possible. These laurels are reminders of your mediocrity. If you are an ape, no matter what royal robes you wear, you will still be an ape.” He told me this before our clerical investiture because we failed to invite our seminary professors. Those words became my principles in my career as I go up the professional ladder. It has been with me ever since. This great mentor of mine is Mons. Benjamin Villanueva.

Most often, when we go up the ladder, we no longer know how to bow down and help those who are below. Many of us would think that we are better than those who are left behind. This is pride and when this is coupled with arrogance, this will be an atomic bomb that will devastate one self. I have seen the destruction of many because of pride and arrogance.
Pride and arrogance are gifts of the devil for mankind. It was these that sent us out of the Garden of Eden. It was pride that made man transgress a very simple law of God. These continue to destroy us today. They do not just destroy our relationships but they also destroy our relationship with God.

It reminds me of a story from somewhere where the frog challenged the size of the bull. She told the cattle that she could be as big as himself. She told the bull that she could get all the air in her system and could even be bigger than the bull. So, the bull silently looked at her as she croaked with pride and breath in all the air around. Indeed she bloated herself very big that the bull had to run away. Then, at an instant she burst and there she went into oblivion. Moral of the story: do not be too boastful of your useless laurels and academic degrees for you might burst for it is nothing but all air.

There was once a teacher after getting her Doctorate degree she transformed into a great doctor and thought that she already possessed all qualities and skills needed to become the head of an academic unit. She forgot that she was one of those whom people despised for lack of “people skills” when she got appointed to a position of responsibility. Today, the teacher remains to be a classroom teacher and a professor whom even students pray not to be under her class.

As teachers, we have to remind ourselves that we have to facilitate learning and not impose useless learning upon our students. What shall we do with all the intelligence we have when people are afraid of us because we are “terrors” in the classroom.

May pride and arrogance go to the trash and let humility and fortitude be our virtues.

St. Ezekiel Moreno, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, Blesseds Pedro Calungsod and Pope John Paul II, and Sir Faraon Lopez, pray for us.