Dirtside's Journal: The deadliest sin...?

This is a copy of something I posted on today's poll, about the seven deadly sins. I think I want to expand on this more, but I have to go home now, so I'll wrote more about it later.

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Pride.

I've spent time thinking about this recently. I've come to the (admittedly fungible) conclusion that pride is really the worst of the traditional "Seven Deadly Sins." I'm not talking in the formal, Catholic sense -- just the colloquial usages of the words. I think that the other sins all really stem from pride, and that much of what's wrong with the world is due to pride.

Pride is the refusal to consider evidence that disproves what you believe to be true. The belief that, in a contentious situation, you could not possibly be in the wrong. The refusal to admit having made a mistake (and the subsequent backing and filling to try and justify the mistake). Those three things, by themselves, sum up huge issues. (Here's another one: Pride is what you are feeling when you think you deserve something.)

For example, take the Israel/Palestine issue. Both sides refuse to admit that they've ever made any mistakes. Both sides refuse to admit that the best solution is going to require some compromises, from both sides. It's like a fight between four-year-olds; neither one wants to admit that they screwed up, and they're going to take their toys and go home (i.e. blow up the opposition some more). (Before you start attacking me and claiming that one side or the other is wholly in the wrong, keep in mind that I've read mountains of words on both sides of the issue, and am unlikely to be swayed by a screed.)

Envy: Envy can, at worst, lead to obsessiveness -- which is a bad thing, for certain, but envy in moderation can also lead a person to work harder, so that they achieve more, which (purely speaking) isn't a bad thing.

Gluttony: Gluttony by itself implies excess -- and the Seven Deadly Sins are, in one way, just a restatement of the old saying, "Moderation in all things." Examine any particular vice, and too much of it will usually be a bad thing. But this is (generally) self-destructive, at worst; not other-destructive. Not by itself. Gluttony can also be seen as deriving from sloth; perhaps you're too lazy to stop doing the "easy" thing (e.g. munching on Funyuns).

Lust: Mostly a self-destructive thing. In a way, it's really just sex gluttony. It can hurt others, if your lust drives you to jealousy; but that would seem to stem from pride -- specifically, you think that you are better than whoever has your lust object, and deserve it more.

Anger: Anger is an emotional reaction, and by itself it can destroy a person's logical thinking processes, clouding your mind with fury. But anger cools over time; pride is reinforced every time the issue returns (because, after all, the longer you wait to admit your mistake, the more embarrassing it is to do so).

Greed: I think greed stems entirely from pride. I deserve more than he does! Therefore, I will take it. It's possible that greed and pride are more intertwined than that, rather than a root-branch relationship.

Sloth: Sloth could be seen as stemming from pride, perhaps: You don't think that you need to do something, because you're too good for it, or it's too important. At least, that's what you say; a lot of sloth comes from, "I haven't dealt with it yet, but I need to deal with it; but if I deal with it now after putting it off, that will feel like 'giving in' to something -- and I'm no loser! I won't give in!"

I could say more, but I have to go home. Maybe I'll write more about this tomorrow.