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Moral LifeEssentials

Is it right to be proud of some things?

Moral Life

The short answer

Theologically, pride is an excessive love of oneself. In the everyday sense of satisfaction in what reflects well on us, justified and moderate pride is not wrong, but cultivating gratitude is better, since it fosters humility.

In theology, pride means an excessive or unjustified love of oneself and one's achievements. In everyday speech it means pleasure or satisfaction in things or people that reflect well on oneself or one's own.

In the everyday sense, when it is justified and not excessive, there is nothing wrong with being proud of yourself or others. Still, it is more spiritually fruitful to cultivate gratitude than pride, especially for things not entirely to one's own credit. In your examples, it would be better to say you are grateful for the grace of being Catholic and of a successful marriage. Gratitude fosters humility because it looks to others, God and neighbor, rather than to oneself.