Maria Gonzalez Blog
Mindful Leadership

Hindrance #5: Does Your Pride Ever Get in the Way?

Pride manifests in two ways — as superior and inferior pride. Superior pride says, “I am better than you,” while inferior pride says, “You are better than me.”

Those with superior pride need to win all the time in order to feel worthy. They’ll go to great lengths to try to make others feel inferior — by reminding them of how smart they themselves are, how much money they have, how well connected they are, how successful their companies are, how much money they have made with their investments, or even their golf handicap. But it’s all a house of cards; in reality sufferers of this hindrance are saying, almost with every breath, “I’m better than you, aren’t I?” 

Conversely, those with inferior pride believe they can do no right. They feel that everyone is more successful, smarter, faster, richer, luckier than they are. They often think of themselves as situational victims. They too experience insatiability, but in their case it’s insatiable inferiority. They’re often seen trying to associate with those who have superior pride because, by association, they’re somewhat elevated in status. People who exhibit this tendency tend to be copycats and follow trends for fear of being left behind or sticking out. They can be vulnerable to leadership fads or the latest hot trend.