A Good Definition of Pride by St. John Climacus

We all suffer from some of it or a lot of it....it's one of the deadly sins and with good reason......pride creeps into our psyche in subtle ways....

"Pride is the denial of God. An invitation of the devil. It is the mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of barrenness. It is a flight from God's help, the harbinger of madness, the author of downfall. It is the cause of diabolical position, the source of anger, the gateway of hypocrisy. It is the fortress of demons, the custodian of sins, and the source of hardheartedness. It is the denial of compassion, a bitter Pharisee, a cruel judge. It is the foe of God. It is the root of blasphemy."
(St. John Climacus-Abbot of St. Catherine Monastery-579-649)