In the distant past, in great Greece, stupid pride was seen as hubris, which was excessive pride, arrogance, or over-confidence – especially when mere mortals chose to defy pantheon of gods.
Hubris was seen as going beyond natural limits. From those distant days hitherto, when the tide of pride rises in sons and daughters of men, it invites bad luck or nemesis, which is divine retribution or punishment. In that regard, stupid pride becomes a jinx.
Still in great Greece, Icarus wended up like wisps of wind with wings made of feathers and wax. Despite strict warning from his father, Daedalus. So, he flew close to the scorching sun. The wax melted like butter exposed to intense heat, and so he hit the ground. Actually, he fell headlong into the deep sea. His over-confidence was a classic case of stupid pride. Likewise, in Oedipus Rex, Oedipus believed he could outwit unfortunate twist of fate, but found himself fulfilling the prophesy he thought he would dodge.
But on a different positive note, when Apollo the King of Greece wanted to know the wisest man in great Greece, he sent his oracle to strut in street, and scout for one of the wisest men that brought great glory in Greece. In the chest of the street, the oracle bumped on the philosopher Socrates, and asked him about the wisest man in Greece. Socrates responded that he was the one. Upon being asked why he thought so. He said he was sagacious because he knew that he knew nothing.
Back to basics, historians say stupid pride made Titanic Ship to sink in 1912. We shall discuss that before I conclude. Then, as I sit to ideate and write, my mortal mind takes a mental flight back to the recent past, 2015: the year of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As a teacher of English Language and Literature, I was preparing a certain candidate class for KCSE. It was in a nascent private school in this trendiest town – Nairobi.
I joined the school as a young teacher. Being a newbie in the noble profession, with scant experience, I must admit, it was challenging to manage students. More so, the recalcitrant ones. In my moments of silence and solitude, I always reflect and thank God for propping me up. Driven by real zeal and trenchant zest, I tried to create more contact and content hours with my students. I woke up early, and slept late. Meaning, apart from the normal lessons splashed on the block timetable, I also went the extra mile to assist my students score more.
In 2015, I was teaching Form Four candidates. Unfortunately, there were yawning gaps in matters discipline and character in candidates, which manifested in the form of stupid pride. As the KCSE exams edged closer, we reached a point where my disciples frowned at discipline, and thought that they were done and dusted. They felt they were home and dry. Therefore, some of them, due to stupid pride and stupid solidarity, started sliding into indiscipline cases like defiance of authority, skiving lessons, absconding duties and abusing drugs. Some became prone to unacceptable hairstyles, wearing wrong school uniform, refusing to sit for exams, sleeping in class, making noise, vandalising school property, becoming truants, inciting other students, fighting and stealing. Some even plotted to go on strike. Or burn their future by setting the school ablaze. This is akin to what schools are going through in these terrible times and climes of the wild wave of strikes and unrests.
Unfortunately, towards the last lap, instead of polishing pale parts in the sphere of academics, we spent eternity solving indiscipline cases of undisciplined students. Instead of reporting to school to assist and instruct Form Four candidates on how to pass KCSE with flying colours, we allotted a lot of time reminding them to toe the line. For discipline is the disciple following the line. Somewhat, the school now looked like a police station. Or a court of some sort. Ugh!
Then, based on my KCSE prognostications, English Paper 1 (Functional Skills), question 1(Functional Writing), I came up with the long list of documents to revise (re-visit). I remember, there is a day I went to class to tackle Minute Writing. Sadly, in a class of 50 students, only 15 were in-attendance. Meaning, around 35 students had chosen to defy. Haply, due to stupid pride, they clamoured for comfort and free time. They did not see the essence of attending lesson or listening to teachers. For sometimes, due to stupid pride, students think they know. Yet, they always know very little, and the little they know, they do not know it well. When KCSE 2015 came, to their utter surprise, Minute Writing came as question 1 in English Paper 1 (Functional Writing). So, stupid pride made some of them fail in that specific question. Lending credence to the wise words: Pride comes before a fall.
Advisedly, the sage said that we should let bygones be bygones. Albeit, I always take a mental flight back to 2015, and I feel for that whole kit and caboodle of candidates who perhaps missed quality grades in English because of stupid pride. How does it manifest? We see it when some students choose to take the path of indiscipline like what we are seeing and hearing. Some students refuse to listen to figures of authority – administrators, teachers and student leaders. The stupid pride leads to a fatal fall. Back in great Greece, Arachne claimed she was a better weaver than the goddess, Athena. After a contest, Athena transformed her into a spider. The sad story explains the origin of the word “arachnid”.
Then, when teachers cry about learners, a curse can cloud their path in school and life after school. Then, we all know, curses are like chicken, they come to roost. When teachers who are elderly people cry about children, this has a negative impact on what I call the “favour factor”. For a part from getting quality grades in school, students should strive to leave school with bountiful blessings of teachers. No wonder, James 4:6 says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:10 reminds us to humble ourselves before the Lord, then He shall lift us.
In most cases, stupid pride also manifests in students who are top achievers – best boys and gutsy girls who fail to understand that assertiveness is always sandwiched between passiveness and aggressiveness. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 that knowledge puffs up. Therefore, human beings who think they know something, sometimes still do not know what they ought to know. So, students who ‘think’ that they know better, can be tempted to rely on their own limited efforts. Some fail to know, sometimes their mischiefs lead to waste of time. The bottom line is; students should avoid stupid pride. Hubris. Withal, they should shun chutzpah — extreme self-confidence and audacity. For if they succumb to such, they will not make wise use of every minute to add some shine and sheen to their grades.
Finally, stupid pride is bad. Woe betide proud people. When you do not remain humble, you can stumble. Those who don’t practise humility, are often humiliated. It is what made Titanic Ship to sink in 1912. Shiv Khera writes in his heroic book titled You Can Achieve More. That at that point in time, Titanic was the world’s largest ship. The big sea vessel weighed 46,328 tonnes. It was 882 feet. It could accommodate 2,500 passengers. Titanic Ship was equipped with all the luxuries including a pool, gymnasium, mini-golf course, lavish dining rooms, et cetera.
Somewhat, it was the talk of town in those years of yore. Mrs. Sylvia Caldwell, with her better half, boarded this vast vessel in Southampton on Sailing Day, April 10, 1912. She asked the crewman of the massive ship who was still on the dock whether the vessel could sink. Stupid pride made him respond that even God could not sink it.
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Sadly, in the evil hours of the night, the Titanic struck an iceberg ripping a hole through five of its 16 water-tight compartments. The Titanic sank. 1,513 people died. The captain and crew did not heed to the wise words: Fore-warned is fore-armed. They were warned earlier, but they totally ignored. Stupid pride made them sink. Apart from refusing to heed to the stern warning, they did not carry life-boats. Which begs the question: What made Titanic Ship to sink? Stupid pride sank Titanic Ship.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer rolls out talks and training services in schools.
vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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