tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1367161100956691682.post1792275669267080278..comments2024-01-28T09:52:30.550-08:00Comments on Arash's World: The Difference between Pride and ArroganceArash Farzanehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000344680925876563noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1367161100956691682.post-88383467536918112412012-03-04T14:00:54.270-08:002012-03-04T14:00:54.270-08:00cool contents! happy to be here..keep up the good ...cool contents! happy to be here..keep up the good works!k and k worldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14980948690296675120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1367161100956691682.post-72249435343498868612012-03-04T12:01:58.631-08:002012-03-04T12:01:58.631-08:00Thank you very much for your detailed comments and...Thank you very much for your detailed comments and footnotes, Vincent! And yes, you are absolutely right, dictators do not need to feel humbled, which shows us how we often manipulate others through the use of language while hiding our own arrogance.<br /><br />The notion of shame is something I am very ashamed of in our world. It is terrible that people should feel and be made to feel ashamed about something they have no influence or say over, such as height and weight that you mention here.<br /><br />I do believe a the same time that such "obstacles" can propel us to work harder and achieve more, which is one of the hidden benefits of feeling insecure!Arash Farzanehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12000344680925876563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1367161100956691682.post-52702515936475413422012-02-18T20:33:38.736-08:002012-02-18T20:33:38.736-08:00I meant also to mention the actor Peter Dinklage. ...I meant also to mention the actor Peter Dinklage. In <i>The Station Agent</i> (2003) he portrays an aloof pride as his weapon of choice to add power to his cinematic presence - a weapon which serves him in the film's plot.<br /><br />His height is 4'5" (1.35m).Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18297306807695767580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1367161100956691682.post-87954774228794635792012-02-18T20:29:58.102-08:002012-02-18T20:29:58.102-08:00I'd like to comment separately about your idea...I'd like to comment separately about your idea that pride should be based on achievement and not just <i>being</i>.<br /><br />I'd like to argue the opposite case. There are many in this world whose path is made smoother by good looks or being tall. I heard yesterday how much money a short man had to pay, and what discomfort he had to endure, for medical and surgical interventions to add a little to his height. He said he had no regrets. It was all worth while to increase his stature--the very metaphor reveals how society makes its valuation!<br /><br />What do you do if you are a dwarf? Well, like other disadvantaged groups, you try harder, but it's unfair on yourself to spend your whole life competing against the better-advantaged.<br /><br />There's an alternative and that is simply to be proud of what you are - short, ugly, retarded, obnoxious etc. Proud because that's how God made you, if you will. Proud because you are all you've got, and pride helps you get through life, just as shame (for something you cannot help) undermines your standing (another metaphor which refers indirectly to height) and brings misery.<br /><br />So, whereas before I suggested that humility was the fig-leaf we use to disguise our onrush of pride in front of adulation; in exactly the same way pride, in the sense I described above, is the mask we adopt to hide the sense of shame induced by other people's attitude to us.Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18297306807695767580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1367161100956691682.post-36869271599574465452012-02-18T20:16:10.953-08:002012-02-18T20:16:10.953-08:00These are very interesting comments about word usa...These are very interesting comments about word usage in a changing culture, Arash.In such words, we try to signal what we approve and disapprove, e.g. pride good, arrogance bad. You could equally well speak of ego, egotism and all the nuances and disapproval involved there.<br /><br />As an intriguing footnote to your essay, consider the use of "humble" and "humbled" by a person who's the centre of approving attention: A President being inaugurated, a film star receiving an award, etc. In terms of feeling pride, this is the pinnacle. It's a moment when the subject of all this adulation does not want to acknowledge the sense of omnipotence felt inside, for the crowd that put you there could just as easily turn against you.<br /><br />So you say, "I feel <i>humbled</i> [by your adulation, which actually intoxicates me with pride]".<br /><br />We would be surprised if a dictator addressing his subjects speaks of humility. He doesn't need it! His dictatorship is underpinned by force, not fickle adoration. <br /><br />So we see from this that Presidents and celebrities fear being thought proud, for they owe everything to popular acclaim.Vincenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18297306807695767580noreply@blogger.com