RELATIONSHIPS
Where Would Your Pride Take You in Relationships?
In relationships, pride can often be a double-edged sword.
On one hand, it can help boost our self-esteem and give us the confidence to stand up for ourselves. On the other hand, too much pride can have detrimental effects.
Pride affects our relationships: we either take pride in them or let pride take them.
Too much pride often manifests in simple behaviors like not admitting one’s wrongdoing, hardly apologizing to your partner, or having no room for corrections.
Those acts of pride in relationships could either make us or break us.
It may stir up tension between you and your partner.
When we let our pride take control, we become defensive and unwilling to admit our mistakes or shortcomings. This can lead to arguments and misunderstandings because both partners refuse to back down or apologize. Rather than fostering open communication and understanding, pride builds walls and impedes progress in resolving conflicts.
It keeps us from truly listening to our partner’s perspective and prevents us from finding common ground.
That might fuel a fire called conflict.
As a result of not finding common ground, conflicts tend to escalate and become more intense.
When pride takes center stage in a relationship, both partners focus on establishing control and showing their own righteousness rather than focusing on coming to an agreement and finding a solution. This competitive attitude can start a vicious cycle of heated discussions and nasty remarks.
It is challenging to establish a middle ground and keep up a healthy, harmonious relationship when pride prevents us from seeing the value of compromise and empathy — it blinds us.
It can deteriorate trust.
Too much pride can erode trust and intimacy, which affects the ability of each partner to be vulnerable with each other. How do they do that when trust is gone?
An excess of pride can create barriers to emotional intimacy, preventing partners from truly opening up and connecting on a deeper level, especially in times when they need it the most.
That might hinder vulnerability.
True emotional intimacy requires vulnerability. It allows partners to open up, share their fears and insecurities, and build trust. Too much pride can be a barrier to vulnerability.
Excessive pride can force us to hide our feelings, sabotaging deep connections with our partners.
It may take a toll on you and your partner.
If you keep on riding the pride ride, the constant stone-walling, bickering, and fighting will strain your overall connection.
It creates a distance between partners, which can lead to a lack of empathy and understanding as well as a disregard for the feelings and perspectives of your loved ones, making it challenging to maintain a strong and healthy relationship.
It will take a toll on both of you. It might get to the point that no matter how much you both try to solve it, it just can’t be helped anymore.
That might lead to the breakdown of your relationship.
In simple terms, pride can take us away from the very person we care about, eroding the foundation of our relationship.
We wouldn’t want that to happen, right?
After all, both partners have the choice to either let pride take over or let their love take over pride. The decision is going to be in their hands, and they will solely rely on which path suits them the best.
Simply put, too much pride, when left unaddressed, takes you away from your partner.
I mean, there’s nothing wrong with having pride; we’re humans — we all have that. But there’s something wrong with letting your pride take over and reign in your head, especially if your relationship is being compromised.
It’s all about how you manage it effectively. If not, it’ll take you far from your dearest one.
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