Pride and Identity

Greetings and salutations! This episode is about pride and identity, and the fact that pride based on an unstable or unhealthy identity is 100% of the time the kind of pride that “goeth before the fall,” if it’s not dealt with. Of course, Life has a way of dealing with that kind of pride, sometimes gently dropping hints, other times knocking you on your ass, and of course that’s always unpleasant in the moment, but it’s definitely a blessing in the long run. Think about what an insufferable asshole you would be if you had always gotten all the validation and rewards you ever wanted!I’ve been thinking about both healthy and unhealthy forms of pride, as well as the kinds of identities that people take pride in. It’s a big, very important topic that is fundamental to so many other issues, and one that I plan to address more fully in a proper written post I’m working on. For now, this podcast episode is me thinking out loud on this topic, a rough audio draft of an upcoming essay. Some of it’s humorous and satirical, some of it’s contemplative and somber, some of it’s me blackpilling about the state of our civilization, and some of it is me finding hope and meaning the extremes of both (1) the small-scale and personal and (2) the ultimate reality of the True God, whose light and life somehow do shine through even the darkest nights of this fallen world. Hope you enjoy it. (And stay tuned for a fuller discussion of this theme.)A Ghost in the Machine is a reader and listener supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aghostinthemachine.substack.com/subscribe