Arrogance

 

Many classes of professions and even ethnic backgrounds can claim it. Politicians and lawyers rate high on my list of arrogant pose'....and there is the occasional medico. Certainly I saw it when in academia....tons of it. Liberals-moderates and conservative educators displayed what I thought it to be. I often hear from the Euro crowd that Americans at large appear or sound arrogant. So. Who gives a shit...I don't. I've been around the world too many times to not have seen it everywhere and in every country I ever visited. And that's a lot and a lot of different ethnicities.

 

 

Now as I am going to be busy for a few weeks and not here too much. I thought I'd leave you with a strikingly fine topic to peruse....sort of 'Toltec-ian' so to speak.

 

Is arrogance (that sense or belief of in born superiority) automatically equated to rudeness? Certainly when we are not carfeul; arrogance may be accompanied by it's twins, prejudice and bigotry. Or is there a time and place because one feels he-she have-has earned the right. Any Marine I ever meant was an arrogant prick(Shout out to Old 'Iron Horse' Mark B...USMC...love ya brother)....but so were CAV Troopers and RANGERS and SF's and SEALS and them Damn Redlegs and Engineers I love so much... in one form shape or another. Even after you got to know them well. They just 'toned it down a might' if they liked you.

 

 

 

 

 

What separates arrogance from pride of service and accomplishment or educational credentials and job-life experience?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is arrogance and pride really the root of all evil versus money? After all, scripture says 'it cometh before the fall'. And if so what then makes people change to soften undue displays of the aforementioned. Fear of death? Bad whiskey? Religion? Couldn't make it to the squaw dance?

 

 

Death is an old friend.

There is no such thing as bad whiskey.

I try but usually still full short. Good thing there's purgatory.

There will always be one next week.

 

 

Think about this and tell me.... what and where was the mostly arrogantly you were received or displayed such yourself.

 

And don't goddamn lie...we all have been arrogant.

 

In my case it's easy. The day I earned my aerial observer wings....strutted like a goddamn fool for weeks..then proceeded to f/u three, in a row, JAAT missions during training. Humility sucks. But it's an honest emotion. And from it I learned a valuable lesson.

 

 

Humility sucks.

 

And in saying that I can tell ya...rest assured...you will know the difference between arrogance displayed and, pride in accomplishment. 

 

During my absence Toltec is in charge of this thread.

I think pride and arrogance are not the same thing. Aristotle regarded pride as the highest virtue. Pride is something directed inwardly, arrogance is directed towards another. Pride is when it is justified, arrogance is when it is an unrealistic claim. Pride is realising how great you are based on a entirely realistic assessment of yourself, arrogance is trying to lord it over someone else who is actually cleverer than you.

Arrogance may be a root of evil, but no more than vanity and somewhat less than greed. 

As the saying goes, "the French think they are superior, but the English Know they are." An arrogant lie? only if the English aren't superior, otherwise a proud truth.