The last of the seven deadly sins is pride–or perhaps I should say the FIRST of the deadly sins is pride because pride is at the root of all the others.

We often misdiagnose bragging and arrogance and vanity as pride. Bragging, arrogance and vanity are symptoms of pride, but pride is much deeper.

In my book Immortal Combat I define pride as the unassailable, total conviction that I am right. I am RIGHT. Therefore anyone in disagreement with me is WRONG.

If I am right then I am automatically self righteous. I see myself not only as right, but as good.

Pride is therefore a sin that is almost impossible to repent of because if you are really, truly proud then you are RIGHT and if you are right you have nothing to confess–nothing to repent of.

When we see his definition of pride, then the insidious, hidden nature of pride becomes apparent and we realize that you don’t have to be arrogant or vain or bragging to be very, very proud.

A person may be proud while outwardly very pious. They may be proud while outwardly modest, abstemious, kind and good natured. If, underneath all that they view themselves as a good person –perhaps even a very good person, then they are guilty of pride. Proud about being a kind person. Proud about being a smart person. Proud about being a prayerful person. Proud about being a charitable person.

Proud of being a humble person. That’s the final irony and punch in the gut.

So what is the virtue that counters pride? Humility of course. But humility is not the same as being obsequious or groveling. Humility is not the same as being prayerful and pious. Humility is not the same as artificially lowering oneself. Humility is being who God created us to be. humility is being realistic about ourselves.

I am convinced that in God’s loving plan the reason he allows us to fall into sin is that we might be regularly reminded of our sinfulness and our utter reliance on him. In other words, to see ourselves as we really are and therefore, hopefully, to avoid the unavoidable deadly sin of pride.