[net.women] being proud

colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (05/18/85)

> >You've failed to separate the ideas of (a) admiring another person and
> >(b) being proud of another person.  I'll try to make the distinction
> >very clear... Being of the same sex or race or
> >nationality as some other person who has accomplished something great
> >is not an accomplishment.  So why be proud?
> 
>     All HUMANS who have worked together against oppression have a great
>     deal to be proud of whenever anyone of us breaks the chains of the
>     past.
> 
>     One white man speaks his mind
>     But we all suffer his disgrace

According to Lao-Tzu, a workman who is proud of his accomplishments
will never amount to much.
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel

desjardins@h-sc1.UUCP (marie desjardins) (05/21/85)

> 
> According to Lao-Tzu, a workman who is proud of his accomplishments
> will never amount to much.
> -- 
> Col. G. L. Sicherman
> ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel

Oh, then I suppose it must be so.  Really, what does this have to do
with anything?  Do you have anything to back this up?  Did he?  I see
nothing wrong with being proud of what one has accomplished.  I also
see nothing wrong with desiring peer approval.  It's simply a form of
reward, internalized.  In fact, I can think of many cases where pride 
is the only reward one receives for some accomplishment, in which case
it would almost certainly foster learning.  I can also think of cases
where peer approval is the only reward one receives for some behavior,
in which the behavior is highly undesirable (vandalism is one).

	marie desjardins

colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman) (06/05/85)

["Pride goeth before destruction." --from a popular book]

> > According to Lao-Tzu, a workman who is proud of his accomplishments
> > will never amount to much.
> 
> Oh, then I suppose it must be so.  Really, what does this have to do
> with anything?  Do you have anything to back this up?  Did he?  I see
> nothing wrong with being proud of what one has accomplished.  I also
> see nothing wrong with desiring peer approval.  It's simply a form of
> reward, internalized.  In fact, I can think of many cases where pride 
> is the only reward one receives for some accomplishment, in which case
> it would almost certainly foster learning.  I can also think of cases
> where peer approval is the only reward one receives for some behavior,
> in which the behavior is highly undesirable (vandalism is one).

Internalized!  Imagined rather.  The point of the quotation is that
pride in your accomplishments (1) serves as a phony subsitute for a
real reward, and (2) distracts you from the work you are to do _now._

Peer approval is altogether different.  If people are so pleased with
your works that they invite you to dinner, you don't need any pride--
better discard it!
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel