If you’ve come here for resolution to the sin of Pride, you’re in the wrong place. Instead, I attempt to understand pride by asking proper questions and share my musings on possessions of the human spirit.

The seven deadly sins (7DS) are elements of the human condition, and discussing them without real world examples is impossible. If we’re not on the same page, how do we even know if we’re reading the same book?

For now, the definition for pride is the following…

an excessive view of oneself without regard for others, often considered the root of all other sins.

Pride can convince a person – even you – that they’re immune to manipulation, trickery, and being turned into a human weapon… a spiritual weapon. Pride can be the reason a man protects his family, or the root of why he leaves his wife and children. It may even be the reason we wake up, or do a good job, or live in spite of evil – the pride of goodness.

Hubris is an example of negative pride and the source of my anxiety for sharing. I mistook pride as a simple concept because it’s a common word. After a week of researching pride I have more questions than answers; the work is incomplete and flawed. It was supposed to be a layup. Luckily, the desire to express gratitude deflated my pride. I rarely hear people confess to envy, but I’ve been to many graduations where people said they’re proud of the former student. Life is complex. That is a beauty of virtue and my impetus for publishing this article.

Shark Tooth

The puffer fish inflates its body with water or air in a ruse to make them appear more threatening to predators. Frequent puffing – especially when inhaling air instead of water – stresses the fish, damages organs, and leads to death. Fish belong in water. A puffer would be foolish to believe the enlarged state is their natural form, but the fish knows it must be puffed when a tiger shark, or another predator, approaches.

Life on earth depends on adapting to the environment. Aquatic creatures have gills, blowholes, or oxygen-absorbent skin which allow them to sustain life underwater. A seasoned job-seeker inflates attributes on a resume to appear more qualified than other applicants in the matchmaking ritual. This system encourages dishonesty – this is a problem with pride. Faith in one’s ability is a quality of confidence, but when people are unable to provide nutrients for themselves and their families with truths, deception is inevitable. Unfortunately, you can’t eat your pride.

A puffer fish can only inflate once before deflating, but when a tale grows legs, reality can fade away.

Desensitizing political propaganda disallows people from seeing present, objective truth. A key difference between Adolf Hitler and Donald J. Trump is positive public opinion. Hitler was sharp, articulate, and adored by his countrymen (at the time). Intellect becomes a prison when confined to people who can afford it. To Pres. Trump’s political base, he’s relatable despite being a billionaire. Somehow, many liberals are blind to their bars of privilege, shielded from the levers of the president’s social power. That is… until now.

What is an inflated ego?

A state of being when one has more belief in a talent, skill, ability, or position than exists in reality.

American education is unfair, but truth has a funny way of (eventually) piercing proud veils of the status quo.

That is a beauty of life.

Schools of Pride

School pride is often viewed as an acceptable vehicle for this sin. At least, it’s more easily explainable because most children participate in a school. Dressing up as a team mascot may be perceived as bearing witness to false idols, but most reasonable people understand the value in shared identity. Pride in the strength of military dominance may result in supremacist nationalism.

These are two expressions of pride, wherein one is acceptable and the other is threatening.

Clear definition is the challenge for understanding pride; with every meaning it absorbs, the fight to dissolve the sin is complicated. Is a lion proud? Is a stamp proud? Is sexuality intrinsically relevant to pride about if attraction just is? The problem with pride, is that it isn’t always seen as sinful, thus excuses are made for its presence.

Afro-Education

Black graduates of Predominantly White Institutions often have a tainted view of their time in university as a result of documented racism – especially if their school did not handle the situation(s) well. Again strikes DuBois concept of double consciousness. When a black doll was found hanging from a noose in an elevator at The University of Illinois, I was shown how eager the spirit of racism is to express itself. Events like this created shared Black Experiences on campus, and through this collective suffering we grew closer. My studies often segregated me from other Black students, yet the pain was a bridge. I am proud of the Black experience at my university. There’s a sweeter victory in defying the odds, but I understand this feeling is a drug.

Hoop Lessons

I had a great conversation with my friend Jeff Lewis last week, wherein we discussed gratitude, reflection, and our shared basketball experiences. Despite the passage of time, I was disheartened to know that my head coach wanted to cut me, but I feel better knowing that after the season of my senior season, Coach **** publicly acknowledged his error in judgment. As a young adult, I learned that no one wants to give opportunity – it must be taken through unmistakable ability and courage. As a man, I understand that admitting a flaw in front of a crowd takes a lot of heart. For these lessons I am grateful.

And why as a 30 year old man does it bother me that my high school basketball coach wanted to cut me? My pride. I continued to play the sport into my adult years, secretly filling the void of feeling passed over. The truth is, I wasn’t cut. Someone fought for me, and I was included – that is the beauty of love. Thank you J Black, Coach Paige, and Mr. Saunders for teaching me that lesson, and thank you Coach Rich for your humility in listening to your council.

There is no such thing as a 30-point shot; the best strategy in the game of forever is to live each day in alignment with a cause. In my conversation with Jeff, we talked about transition; in basketball, this refers to a moment between offense and defense. Sometimes, I’m unsure whether I should protect the paint or attack the basket. Moments are fluid – playing my game is the proper course of action – to know the rules, one must know oneself. True, valuable possessions of life aren’t athletic equipment. They are harmony, love, and virtue.

Each interaction where I am fully present leads me to a better position. Attention has the ability to grow life — therein is the solution to changing a culture. I am learning to accept loneliness as an essential feature of my path. Moreover, transitional moments coincide with change, meaning people are going in different directions. The nature of the game of forever evolves, and each player’s role is in flux. As an adult I am wise enough to understand that sports are a masterclass in human psychology.

Basketball forced me to learn how to perform in front of crowds, especially in moments of transition. My sports fandom is 95% terminated, and I’m interested in being the best at what I do – teaching through stories, words, and ideas.

The Journey Ahead

My top priority is a living as a writer in pursuit of my cause, so that I may do more good. I will accomplish this is through authorship.

Only 3% of people who begin writing a book go on to complete it – less than 20% of the completers go on to see their novel published.

I attempt to be in this minority. The pursuit of unique goals creates isolation. Reading texts from people with similar ambitions may be the only available companionship.

I’ve spent the last 5 years understanding my preferred artistic medium – painting, fashion, music? After years of being an academic and an athlete, I learned that I was an artist by way of authorship. Adulthood is an uncommon time to learn of your artistic ability, yet a wise mind comprehends the language of history.

Personally Speaking

If you’re one of the 14 subscribers, you likely have some affinity for me as a person and you are interested in my perspective. This channel’s primary goal is not to talk about myself, but this medium would be incomplete without sharing the character development I undergo throughout my investigations. Instead of leading with the personal context of my research, I will wait until the end.

I was 9 years old when I first considered ending my life. For now, the context is unimportant. I persist because I’ve learned how to convert hopelessness into optimism. Positivity comes at the cost of doing something, replacing pain with joy. The understanding that one cannot fight fire with fire is a difficult concept for children — generally, black people understand this young.

Sometimes I feel passed over or unrecognized for the value I provide. This is not a matter I should be concerned about, but pride is pesky. My mission is to be good in each moment. I am concerned with virtues and understanding how to dispel the seven deadly sins, but I can only change the world if I have the courage to change myself. This is the end of the Eye of Apollo brand, and the beginning of The Eye of Apollo’s embodied cause.

Be kind, tell truth, and be diplomatic.