Pride and Humility: The Roots of Ingratitude

Pride and the loss of humility create the ground for ingratitude, because they deprive a person of the ability to recognize that all blessings are received from others (and from a higher source), while also plunging them into the illusion that they are entitled to these gifts by right. A person overwhelmed by pride takes the kindness shown to them for granted and does not see it as a miracle or mercy, and thus feels no need to give thanks.

For example, one source directly states, "Such proud, self-exalting people suffer from the grave sin of ingratitude; moreover, those lacking humility believe that they should have much more and stand higher. The topic of gratitude is not even mentioned" (source: link txt). This suggests that pride drives a person to regard the blessings they receive as a rightful consequence of their status or merits, leading to a lack of gratitude.

In addition, another source emphasizes, "Ingratitude is the daughter of pride, which presumes that what is done for it should be as it is" (source: link txt). It is clear from this that the loss of humility causes a person to no longer view support or help as something valuable, for which they might feel grateful. Instead, they begin to regard these gifts as their natural right, thereby completely undermining the development of genuine gratitude.

Thus, both pride and the absence of humility work synergistically: pride forces a person to rise to a level where they consider received benefits as due, while the lack of humility deprives them of the ability to see their dependence on others and, consequently, to experience sincere gratitude.

Pride and Humility: The Roots of Ingratitude

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