In her book Take Pride, professor and researcher Jessica Tracy identifies two distinct types of pride — each of which has a compelling evolutionary hypothesis.
- Authentic pride: the sense of accomplishment and confidence we generate from things we’ve done — like working hard, studying, and preparing.
- Hubristic pride: the sense that we are better than others because of innate traits or status levels — like IQ, appearance, or wealth.
In other words, authentic pride is derived from achievements we feel we’ve earned while hubristic pride is derived from characteristics we believe we have.
This dichotomy between the two different types of pride helps to explain why “pride” has such a confusing and paradoxical reputation.
On the one hand, we know that taking pride in a hard day’s work is a good thing; but on the other hand, pride is notorious for being one of the most damaging sins of all.
It’s one word trying to do too much.
Keeping these two different types of pride in mind can help us to separate the good from the bad when it comes to pride.
