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This word used here for pride literally means to be overinflated, swollen, distended beyond its proper size.
I think the image suggests four things about the natural condition of the human ego: that it is empty, painful, busy and fragile.
Søren Kierkegaard says that the normal human ego is built on something besides God.
And, of course, as we are often reminded, if you try to put anything in the middle of the place that was originally made for God, it is going to be too small. It is going to rattle around in there.
It is incredibly busy trying to fill the emptiness. And it is incredibly busy doing two things in particular – comparing and boasting.
The way the normal human ego tries to fill its emptiness and deal with its discomfort is by comparing itself to other people. All the time.
pride is the pleasure of having more than the next person.
Trying to recommend ourselves, trying to create a self-esteem résumé because we are desperate to fill our sense of inadequacy and emptiness.
He knows that trying to find self-esteem by living up to a certain set of standards is a trap.
He sees all kinds of sins in himself – and all kinds of accomplishments too – but he refuses to connect them with himself or his identity.
Because the essence of gospel-humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.
The more we get to understand the gospel, the more we want to change.
For it not to matter whether it was their success or your success. Not to care if they did it or you did it. You are as happy that they did it as if you had done it yourself – because you are just so happy to see it.
