Gloating, Rejoicing Over Others Failures and Difficulties Are Learned from a Young Age

This is a follow up to my article about pride and arrogance. It is an edited school assignment I found appropriate. Coming soon is a real-life example how pride, arrogance and unreasonable stubbornness can potentially ruin a wonderful business and how the manager tolerates difficult and too frequently abusive conditions

The foundation of this lengthy article are five NT Greek words that define characteristics of pride. Where do you fit in?

1. Katakauchaomai-boast, rejoice against

Boasting is something we all have done without realizing that is involves pride. Boasting over one accomplishment or possessions, rejoicing against another who may have accomplished less and you were competing against or wished ill against.

Boasting extends to other personal identities such as nationality, culture and even regional differences extending their rejoicing and boasting to a larger related or like-thinking group rejoicing against the presumed weaknesses of others; stereotyping out of pride to "uplift" that group and self above others. Using the terms "negative" and "positive", we are all aware of the positive attitude of boasting and being boastful for self and like self but rejoicing against is seldom considered "negative", the flipside and equal of its positive aspect.

What stands out and is the major difference between a sin and simply wishing well is the attitude of the heart. Wishing a group well while not wishing ill or harm on another is the difference. Wishing that linebacker to stop the runner as opposed to wishing that linebacker takes the runners head off which is rejoicing against and boasting that it should happen is what is sinful. Rejoicing against and boasting are two side of the same coin.

Your lust for something is also the rejoicing or wishing for the loss ill of someone else proving that an actionable sin is a sin committed twice; in thought and deed.

2. Kaucha/omai-to glory with or without reason

Gloating defines "to glory over". That attitude we take at the demise of someone opposing or we dislike and wanted to see subdued or rejected in some form. Though all the definitions of these Greek words are synonymous, there can be differences.

For example, on the news today Manny Ramirez had been penalized for using sports-enhancing drugs. There are those who will delight in his troubles and may even wish more upon him even going so far as to wish the same on those like him or, who had association with him.

Other examples are people hating others and when they have difficulties, rejoice or glorify in their problems simply because it is them. Regional differences, clan differences are commonly in this category. Hatred so old no one remembers why. Genocide is the extreme result of glory with or without reason glorifying in the destruction of people.

One outstanding example is in sports. Years ago when a player scored or stopped an offensive or defensive play, that player would simply go back to position to begin the next play. Today, we have obscene gyrations and gestures and "smack talk" directed toward the opposition and even the audience "glorying" over a truly fleeting and trivial accomplishment, especially when it is only the first or second quarter. This is truly and loudly glorifying the self. It takes a conceited, boastful attitude to have no shame in such behavior. Politicians would make a perfect fit here too.

3. Huperephania-haughty, arrogant

This type of person is not necessarily loud using extreme gestures to make a point about them. Many sport figures, Hollywood personalities, talk-show hosts, business tycoons will tend to be haughty, proud of their position and popularity or infamy.

I had the experience of not recognizing a former senator when he and his wife came to stay here at the inn. I didn't see them when they checked in so one night at 10pm when Karen and I were just about to go to bed, the doorbell rings and I have to get dressed and run upstairs to the door where they are just entering. Apparently they could not find their keys quick enough and rang the bell. I stood there disheveled with my hands on my hips and when they saw me were full of apologies which I accepted gruffly and returned to the apartment.

In the morning when I came up he (former senator Chafee, Jr.) was lingering around the tables with flyers for tours and restaurants and other local highlights and he kept looking at me from the side. When he want to sit for breakfast they suddenly got up and left when Karen served people who were there before them. On their way out, I asked Karen to check who they were and when I saw the name laughed, "So that's him! I thought he looked familiar!" She asked me if I was going to go outside and say something. I said "no, I won't feed that attitude."

4. Tuphoo-high-minded, conceited

The more personal traits of pride are high-mindedness and arrogance. Wealth, position, affiliations and more are all reasons affiliated to this mode of pride. All these definitions overlap are components of the others, more pronounced individually.

Donald Trump could be considered as a high-minded and conceited person, displayed by naming all his buildings after himself Trump Towers, Trump Casino and what other Trumps there may be. A man who puts business over his wife is certainly high-minded and haughty, glorifying achievement and assets over the relationship. Though they may not say so, their manner assumes that whatever they say or do is the best way to say and do because it has made them successful. Their behavior implies "look at me, can you be as good?"

Of course Mr. Trump is not unique . Many people who speak in the third person display high-minded and conceit though a person may act conceited but not routinely be conceited. Many misinterpret conceit for someone simply momentarily proud of something. Conceited people may have or assume they have some characteristic above the normal capacity of most others and they will announce that belief to any who will listen.

The Pharisees with their public displays of prayer and worship are fine examples of conceit and high-mindedness. Normally, people will tend to underestimate themselves. High-minded, conceited people do the opposite; they overestimate their abilities (generally) and their importance. The term conceit seems to be a milder term compared to other synonyms.

5. Alazoneia-empty, braggart talk, vainglory, boastful

Boasting, braggadocio, vainglory, pompous, ostentatious, the list is long and all are components of pride. It is empty, non-productive and unloving. It is disrespectful and degrading. It cheapens others over the self and over God.

Empty, braggart speech probably is most common heard over sports, professional, or collegiate, ethnic holidays such as St. Patrick's Day where for too many it is a time for brawling and drunkenness. (100 arrests for brawling and public drunkenness during and after the parade here in Newport, RI)

Particularly prideful and boastful displays of "pride" bragging are the easiest to do. Depending on the situation, it could be nearly impulsive to commit but without the intention of being condescending or demeaning. This is something we are all guilty of on occasion and not part of our normal character.

Vainglory, on the other hand is unique in that these people can be thrill seekers,; people who are willing to perform outrageous acts for attention and fame' feeding their vanity. It is contradictory to seeking God's glory, working to give glory to God. It denies glory to the Lord for the self. Vanity demands attention and vain people will act, dress, and speak in a way that draws attention to themselves. King Solomon taught about the emptiness and how vanity can never b satisfied. The vain as other addicts always need more and will do what they feel is necessary to get it. Those who fit these definitions will never find peace and satisfaction until they find peace in the Lord.

(http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=2744)