Pride is the recognition of the fact that you are your own highest value and, like all of man’s values, it has to be earned. His own happiness is man’s only moral purpose, but only his own virtue can achieve it… Life is the reward of virtue- and happiness is the goal and the reward of life. Happiness is a state of non-contradictory joy- a joy without penalty or guilt, a joy that does not clash with any of your values and does not work for your won destruction, not the joy of escaping from your mind, but using your mind’s fullest power. Happiness is possible only to a rational man, the man who desires nothing but rational goals, seek nothing but rational values and finds his joy in nothing bu rational actions. The symbol of all relationships among such men, the moral symbol of respect for human beings, is the trade… A trader is a man who earns what he gets and does not give or take the undeserved. Ayn Rand
About This Quote

The quote above is one of the most famous quotes in the world. It was written by William James, an American philosopher and psychologist. It says that pride is the recognition of the fact that you are your own highest value and, like all of man's values, it has to be earned. According to William James , there are two kinds of pride: true pride and false pride.

True pride is the feeling that everyone has for themselves. This type of pride is great because it makes you feel better about yourself. The second type of pride is false pride which causes us to look down on others.

This type of pride does not make you feel better about yourself but rather makes you feel worse about yourself.

Source: Atlas Shrugged

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