There are things I am proud of, accomplishments I’ve achieved, things I’ve done, skills I’ve acquired. I am proud when I’ve finished a 5k. I am proud when I’ve completed a project to my satisfaction.
I am not, however, proud of being American, white, straight, or a woman. I am not proud that I am a southerner. I am not ashamed of these things either. They just are. I was born this way. How does one take pride in, what George Carlin called, a genetic accident? None of these things was of my own doing. They do not make me superior in any way. Nor do they make me inferior.
Pride comes before the fall. ~ Proverbs 16:18
What are you proud of?
Out From Under the Umbrella 
June 26, 2015 at 11:52 am
I don’t do pride, maybe just a little, vicariously in respect to offspring.
LikeLiked by 3 people
June 26, 2015 at 7:41 pm
I think you’re entitled to that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 26, 2015 at 12:04 pm
Carlin was spot on.
I don’t know whether to call it pride or just being happy with myself at the end of a workout session
LikeLiked by 2 people
June 26, 2015 at 7:41 pm
I’m usually happy that I didn’t die and proud of myself for even trying.
LikeLike
June 27, 2015 at 11:21 am
I tell my friends, every morning, that in the struggle between life and death, every time I wake up, I have won
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 26, 2015 at 12:04 pm
I’m proud of my ability to spel properly.
LikeLiked by 5 people
June 26, 2015 at 7:38 pm
Go bak to skool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 26, 2015 at 10:43 pm
But I speled properly correktly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 26, 2015 at 1:02 pm
Carlin was so right. I never thought of it that way.
LikeLiked by 2 people
June 26, 2015 at 7:39 pm
I did think that earlier today. Then I started looking for pride quotes and found that meme. So I’m not sure that my thought was original. Maybe I’d heard Carlin say it before? At any rate he’s spot on.
LikeLike
June 26, 2015 at 6:39 pm
“accomplishments I’ve achieved, things I’ve done, skills I’ve acquired” could perhaps be represented solely by the first word 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 26, 2015 at 7:27 pm
Leave it to the grammar nazi… 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 26, 2015 at 7:44 pm
Is that a promotion from being the soup nazi?
LikeLike
June 26, 2015 at 7:50 pm
It is. Aren’t you proud?
LikeLike
June 27, 2015 at 2:59 am
You and George Carlin says it so well Ruth. Just another word from society to make folks feel better about themselves, especially if they haven’t done anything to deserve it. 😀 ♥
LikeLike
June 27, 2015 at 9:43 am
I would say though that George Carlin isn’t correct here 100%. While it’s true things that are genetic accidents are not accomplishments nevertheless some forms of oppression can make people feel devalued for being a certain race, gender, or sexual orientation. Gay pride is a good example of that. When you live in a society that makes you feel like you are less than you are for simply being born a certain way, I think it can be empowering to show pride in who you are, even if it’s genetic. Just my opinion. Perhaps it’s just semantics.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 27, 2015 at 5:53 pm
I think we will have made real progress when no one has to feel less-than because of the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, etc. I think it is the pride in being a certain thing genetically that causes us to make those who are not like us less-than. It shouldn’t be a point of pride to be black, or white, or brown, or straight, or gay, or bi, or American, or Irish, or Australian. It should just be. If we were equal no one would need to feel better than anyone else or less than anyone else. I look forward to a day when we can all like who we are without having to puff ourselves up to feel equal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 27, 2015 at 6:08 pm
I agree that in an ideal world pride for such things becomes unnecessary. But for now I judge feelings of pride on a case by case basis. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 28, 2015 at 5:43 am
I’m proud to be white. Because it IS something I had to achieve. I remember it clearly. God said, “What do you want to be when you get out there, little fella?” I replied, “A white toothless redneck… With a big pecker! That “big pecker” package is a MUST big guy.” He said, “OK, but you’re gonna have to work for it. That white toothless redneck with big pecker option is in high demand… You’ll have to beat out another billion semen to be the first to the egg.”
And here I am in all my glory.
I am SO proud.:)
LikeLike
June 28, 2015 at 9:09 am
Are you under the impression that there are a lot of white toothless rednecks with big peckers running around? I guess I’ll have to admit most of those white toothless rednecks do grow some big chickens.
LikeLiked by 1 person
June 29, 2015 at 3:38 am
Yeah that was the catch in the deal… I was soooooo disappointed.
LikeLike
June 29, 2015 at 8:27 am
Oh, I thought that big chickens were a plus. They come in handy when you want a wife as part of the dowry.
LikeLiked by 1 person