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May 2003The Great Sin |
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Lewis tells us that pride is “essentially competitive—is competitive by its very nature—while the other vices are only competitive, so to speak, by accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only having more of it than the next man….it is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest.”2 Because of its nature, pride eats away at our relationships. “…pride always means enmity—it is enmity. And not only enmity between man and man but enmity to God….as long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and as long as you are looking down you cannot see something that is above you.”3 The remedy for our pride is humility. “If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realize one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited, indeed.”4 |
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Search me, O God, and know my heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts; |
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1 Mere Christianity, McMillan, p. 109, 110-111 |
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© 2013 C.S. Lewis Institute. “Reflections” is published monthly by the C.S. Lewis Institute. 8001 Braddock Road, Suite 301 • Springfield, VA 22151-2110 • 703.914.5602 • 800.813.9209 • fax 703.894.1072 • www.cslewisinstitute.org |
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