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From: colonel@gloria.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: being proud
Message-ID: <795@gloria.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 5-Jun-85 14:31:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: gloria.795
Posted: Wed Jun  5 14:31:04 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Jun-85 22:19:57 EDT
References: <233@spar.UUCP> <754@gloria.UUCP> <364@h-sc1.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: SUNY-Buffalo Computer Sci.
Lines: 25

["Pride goeth before destruction." --from a popular book]

> > According to Lao-Tzu, a workman who is proud of his accomplishments
> > will never amount to much.
> 
> Oh, then I suppose it must be so.  Really, what does this have to do
> with anything?  Do you have anything to back this up?  Did he?  I see
> nothing wrong with being proud of what one has accomplished.  I also
> see nothing wrong with desiring peer approval.  It's simply a form of
> reward, internalized.  In fact, I can think of many cases where pride 
> is the only reward one receives for some accomplishment, in which case
> it would almost certainly foster learning.  I can also think of cases
> where peer approval is the only reward one receives for some behavior,
> in which the behavior is highly undesirable (vandalism is one).

Internalized!  Imagined rather.  The point of the quotation is that
pride in your accomplishments (1) serves as a phony subsitute for a
real reward, and (2) distracts you from the work you are to do _now._

Peer approval is altogether different.  If people are so pleased with
your works that they invite you to dinner, you don't need any pride--
better discard it!
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel