[ExI] Pride and/or thinking superior

[Samantha Atkins]

On Jun 27, 2008, at 7:00 AM, spike wrote:

>
>> Stathis Papaioannou
>> Subject: Re: [ExI] Pride and/or thinking superior
>>
>> 2008/6/27 Anna Taylor <femmechakra at yahoo.ca>:
>>
>>> How is this possible?  If at any moment you think you are
>> better than anyone else it could mean you have a superiority
>> complex.  Which is useless...
>>
>> Not to mention the logical impossibility of more than one
>> person in the world being non-delusionally proud, if being
>> proud means you're better than everyone else.
>> --
>> Stathis Papaioannou
>
> Someone, somewhere at some time, *is* better than everyone else.

In what respect?  Better at what?  I very much doubt there is someone  
at any particular moment that is "better" at everything.     Pride has  
nothing to do with being better than everyone else or anyone else.   
Pride has to do with doing one's own best to live congruently with  
one's own values.  Everyone can aspire to and enjoy that kind of pride.


>  If we
> allow a number of different criteria by which to judge ourselves,  
> then there
> can be simultaneously several persons better than everyone.  For  
> instance,
> there is a best living chess player, and a best living boxer, etc.

This temporary ranking is a pretty fragile thing compared to the above  
pride in one's character.

> If we
> allow arbitrary combinations of disparate criteria (think of that  
> Olympic
> sport that combines skiing and shooting), nearly everyone can come  
> up with a
> combination that would make them world champions.

I don't think so and it isn't necessary.

>  In my case, I claim to be
> the world champion at chess playing motorcycle racing aerospace  
> hardware
> designer featherweight boxer in the over 45 division.  If I can get  
> that
> made into an Olympic sport I will soooo go for the gold.

I didn't know you are a boxer.  I will be careful to be less  
pugilistic.  :-)

- samantha