Where there is pride, there is fear.

I think the title says it all. Obviously, fear does not imply pride, as rational fears, such as that which arises when one or one's relations or friends are in danger, are not prideful in any sense. I refer to an inhibiting fear, an unhealthy, irrational fear that keeps us from realising our potential. There is fear of rejection, fear of failure. These we are all aware of, I'm sure. But I challenge everyone to look inside themselves and discover the fear of being exposed, fear of weakness, fear of losing control. Why do so many of us remain trapped in our habits and addictions, even when we know them to be detrimental? Why do we hide our wrongs, our faults, from those we know just wish to help us overcome them? I venture to say that it is because our pride wants us to be the one to defeat these things. Pride does not want to ask others for help, and thus lose control of the situation. Is it not easy to see, then, the benefit of surrender? By yielding our control to the help of God and others that love us, we have freed ourselves from the insidious, destructive grip of pride and addiction.