One night, at an open spiritual discussion meetup group I used to run, I was talking about my understanding of the Divine being completely within us (which is the premise of Trinity Energy Progression), existing in a state beyond ego and in unconditional love and acceptance. One of the attendees asked me, “What about pride and humility?”

I asked, “What about it?”

The person continued with, “Isn’t it more important to be humble than full of pride?”

This topic comes up repeatedly, in different forums. We perpetuate SO MUCH culturally and via belief systems (including general spirituality), around the importance of showing humility! I see so many others in the public spiritual forum talk about their own humility, how important it is to them, how important it is for others to show. The inflection: That it’s better to be humble than it is to have pride. We’ve decided, collectively, that humility is a virtue and pride isn’t.

Actually, we’ve decided – or rather, the ego has decided – that it’s BETTER and MORE VIRTUOUS to be humble than it is to have pride… and really, that it’s ok to have pride in being humble. Oh, the irony of that!

Here are definitions, from the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary:

humility: Having or showing a low estimate of one’s own importance.

pride: A feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

Here’s what’s important to consider when looking at this, and with any other judgment about ourselves and others, at all: They’re all formed in duality and separation. My understanding is that the ego was created with the “job” of exploring the perception/experience of duality and separation, so all of the energies and emotions around such are ego-based: fear, anxiety, regret, resentment, guilt, doubt, sorrow, pain, judgment, shame, etc. And yes, judgment is created only in duality and separation… so it’s based in the ego, and judging anything as “more than” OR “less than” is… you got it… based in the ego, as well. Therefore, BOTH pride and humility are ego-based perceptions, regardless of the individual’s use of them.

When we begin to remember the perspective that EVERYONE is the Divine expressed as who they are, when we see the Universe through the eyes of Oneness, what happens is that we start seeing through the eyes of acceptance and unconditional love. Likewise, we start seeing everyone and everything as equally magnificent, beautiful, amazing, awesome, and Divine. In unity, it’s not that “no one’s special”; it’s that we ALL are! Even what the ego considers (judges) most depraved, most in lack, what we perceive as “dark” or “evil.” It ALL has a higher purpose in this symphony that we’ve created. BOTH pride and humility are based on a scale of separation and comparison; once we accept all as Divine, we remember how to just BE, free of the need of hierarchy or importance, standing in the truth and full expanse of our wholeness. It’s simply achieving a state of full IS-ness… knowing that we are all.

I remember once a conversation I had with a friend about my frustration with some seeing me up on a pedestal beyond them; my friend replied, “Oh, come on, admit it… you like being on the pedestal…”

I laughed and said, “Of course, I LOVE it! However… I’m ready for everyone around me to realize that THEY’RE up on the pedestal with me, for the awesomeness that THEY are, so we can all just PLAY!”

“Well, then, there is no pedestal, is there?”

“Of course not… ”  But that’s a conversation for another day…  🙂

When we say “Namaste,” we’re essentially saying, “The Divine in me bows to the Divine in you“…

Namaste,

Angela Coulter
Originator, Trinity Energy Progression