Pride Comes Before the Fall
In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Hecate says, “And you all know security is mortal’s chiefest enemy.”(3.5.32-33). Security, is translated into modern English as “overconfidence”, so Hecate is saying that overconfidence is one main downfall that humans face. Although a ten-page, smarter sounding college level definition could probably be found, the standard dictionary definition of overconfidence is summed up in two words: too confident. It may seem comical that it is as simply put as this, but the definition is 100 percent accurate. To be too much of one thing can be destructive to a person, this is because the word “too” in this context means to have an excess of something. People with too much money often are corrupt and live miserable lives. Like having too much money, to be overconfident can also ruin lives. People who are cocky, arrogant and full of themselves find it hard to make friends, and are always trying to prove themselves to others. Everything is a challenge to these people, and they usually believe that they are better than everyone else. People who are overconfident get themselves into situations that they cannot handle and end up in dangerous scenarios. For all the faults and burdens overconfidence can cause, it can be deemed as the most destructive flaw in the human race.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” This is where the famous saying “Pride comes before the fall” comes from. The Bible states through this verse that a man who is prideful or overconfident will come to be destroyed and those who are arrogant will fall. One reason why people who are overconfident or too proud tend to live lives that lead to destruction is because pride often blinds a man. When someone is too proud to do something, even if it is in their best interest, the pride is taking over their head. They ignore their natural instinct, like accepting help from someone, and try to take care of things themselves.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” This is where the famous saying “Pride comes before the fall” comes from. The Bible states through this verse that a man who is prideful or overconfident will come to be destroyed and those who are arrogant will fall. One reason why people who are overconfident or too proud tend to live lives that lead to destruction is because pride often blinds a man. When someone is too proud to do something, even if it is in their best interest, the pride is taking over their head. They ignore their natural instinct, like accepting help from someone, and try to take care of things themselves.
Cited: “Larry Kersten Quotes.” Think Exist. ThinkExist.com Quotations. 13 Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes. British Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. page # 's. Print. The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002. Print.