Pride is a complex emotion that involves satisfaction and confidence in oneself or others. While pride is often viewed as a negative trait, psychologists have identified three main types of pride that have different causes and consequences.
Authentic Pride
Authentic pride arises from internal attributions and is associated with accomplishment and achievement. This type of pride is based on realistic self-assessment and doesn’t require constant external validation. Some key features of authentic pride include:
- Feeling good about one’s efforts and abilities
- Confidence in one’s skills and qualities
- Not needing constant praise or approval from others
- Having high self-esteem independent of outside factors
- Being able to acknowledge flaws and mistakes
When people experience authentic pride, they are feeling positive emotions stemming from their own accomplishments or traits. For example, an athlete might feel authentic pride after winning a race through hard training. Or a student may feel proud of earning an A on an exam by studying diligently. This type of pride arises from internal effort rather than external factors.
What causes authentic pride?
There are several potential causes of authentic pride, including:
- Achievement – Accomplishing goals, learning new skills, or overcoming challenges through effort leads to authentic pride.
- Abilities – Being talented in certain areas like sports, music, or academics can elicit pride.
- Personality traits – Positive qualities like kindness, integrity, and perseverance are sources of pride.
- Self-development – Personal growth and self-improvement can instill pride.
- Helping others – Making a positive difference and contribution to others generates pride.
The common thread is that authentic pride stems from one’s own actions, abilities, and personal strengths. It does not require validation from external sources.
What are the benefits of authentic pride?
Research has uncovered a range of benefits associated with authentic pride, including:
- Increased self-esteem and well-being
- Greater motivation and perseverance
- A sense of empowerment and confidence
- More extroverted and social behaviors
- Enhanced goal achievement
- Greater generosity and prosocial actions
By promoting accomplishment and self-esteem, authentic pride can inspire individuals to take positive steps and make valuable contributions. At the same time, authentic pride is based in reality and does not exaggerate one’s abilities or worth.
Hubristic Pride
In contrast to authentic pride, hubristic pride stems from an inflated, unstable sense of self. Hubristic pride involves arrogance, vanity, and egotism. Key characteristics of hubristic pride include:
- Feelings of superiority over others
- Believing one is extra special or privileged
- Basking in others’ attention and praise
- Having an inflated, unstable self-esteem
- Trouble accepting criticism or admitting imperfections
With hubristic pride, self-worth depends on external validation and outdoing others. It is rooted in an exaggerated sense of confidence that requires constant reaffirmation. For example, someone with hubristic pride may boast about their intelligence and feel they deserve special treatment for it.
What causes hubristic pride?
Some potential roots of hubristic pride include:
- Insecurity – Fragile self-esteem and uncertainty can drive hubristic pride as overcompensation.
- Narcissism – Excessive self-focus and sense of entitlement promote hubristic pride.
- Lack of self-awareness – An inability to accurately self-assess can create hubris.
- Threatened ego – Hubristic pride may arise when self-esteem is jeopardized.
- Early over-praise – Excessive parental praise as a child can establish hubris.
In essence, hubristic pride is rooted in distortion and exaggeration of self-worth, rather than genuine accomplishment. It represents defensive egotism rather than authentic self-esteem.
What are the risks of hubristic pride?
Research suggests hubristic pride can lead to a range of negative outcomes, such as:
- Aggression when the ego is threatened
- Prejudice towards outgroup members
- Self-destructive risk-taking
- Compulsive, addictive behaviors
- Alienation of friends and colleagues
- Cheating to maintain an inflated self-image
Hubristic pride is also associated with lower interpersonal trust, empathy, and relationship satisfaction. Ultimately, the constant need for external validation required by hubris undermines genuine self-esteem.
Group Pride
The third type of pride involves identification with a group or collective. In group pride, self-esteem is linked to group success and one’s belonging to a high-status group. Features of group pride include:
- Strong attachment to a group or culture
- Deriving self-worth from group membership
- Group comparisons and competitiveness
- Belief in the superiority of one’s group over others
- Concerns about in-group loyalty and betrayal
This pride is based on feelings of belonging rather than individual abilities. For instance, a person may feel proud to be an American during the Olympics because American athletes win many medals.
What causes group pride?
Group pride arises from various group dynamics and social factors, such as:
- In-group favoritism – Positive biases towards one’s own group promote pride in belonging.
- Need to belong – Strong motivations for group inclusion underpin group pride.
- Self-stereotyping – Individuals internalize group characteristics as part of their identity.
- Intergroup comparisons – Favorable comparisons to outgroups generate pride.
- Perceived status – Belonging to prestigious, high-status groups creates pride.
Because group pride relies on external group status rather than internal attributes, self-esteem depends on maintaining belonging and seeing one’s group as superior.
What are the effects of group pride?
Research on group pride has found some potential benefits but also risks, such as:
- Increased self-esteem from belonging to prestigious groups
- Greater loyalty, sacrifice, and cooperation within groups
- Negative attitudes and hostility towards outgroups
- Biased evaluation of other groups as inferior
- Dysfunctional rejection of feedback about the group
- Pressure to conform to group norms rather than being oneself
So while group pride may have some benefits for in-group unity and self-image, it can also lead to destructive intergroup conflicts and reduced individuality.
Conclusion
In summary, authentic pride, hubristic pride, and group pride represent different facets of the complex pride experience:
- Authentic pride is internally-driven pride in one’s efforts, abilities and accomplishments.
- Hubristic pride is egotistical pride based in an exaggerated sense of superiority and entitlement.
- Group pride is pride stemming from membership in prestigious groups and identification with group status.
Understanding these pride subtypes provides insight into the causes, benefits, and risks of pride experiences. While authentic pride tends to have the most constructive outcomes, hubristic and group pride are more problematic and defensive. Overall, pride is a multifaceted emotion that powerfully influences behavior for better or worse depending on its foundations within the self.