Proverb Expansion
PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL
Pride here means to have too high an opinion of oneself, one’s position and possession. Pride makes a person think that he is superior to others. Our achievements in life are due to our pains and hard work. But we should never be proud of accomplishments in life. Whenever pride begins to act, there begins our adversity. A proud man will have little consideration for others and treats others with contempt. He who has pride will finally suffer defeat or meet with a shameful end. When a proud man meets with a bad end, others will have no sympathy for him. History is full of examples of powerful monarchs who came to ruin as a result of their proud nature. King John of England met with a shameful end due to his proud and overbearing nature. The vanity of the French emperors and the Russian Czars brought about their downfall. As we attain high positions in life, we should become more and more humble. There lies our true worth. A proud man should be aware of the reality that a day will come when the happiness and comfort given by pride will give way to the pain of humiliation. In short, the true quality of a man is humility, not pride.