Why are people so proud?

[Zapatista]

As the title says. Why are people so proud? Proud of being Pakistani or whatever their nationality might be, proud because they have rich parents, proud because they look good, proud because put any other random reason here.

Why are people proud of such random things? Things they have absolutely no control over. Shouldn’t we actually be proud If WE ourselves achieved something great on our own?

Being a certain nationality is such a random act. You could have born to parents in Panama instead of Pakistan. You could have been an orphan street kid in Romania instead of being born into a rich business family in KSA. So why is that?

Also I hear “I’m a proud Muslim” from people all the time. But guess what? You could have been born into a Hindu family in India. What then? IMO You can be proud of being a Muslim If you were one of the lucky people who saw the truth in Islam and reverted from whatever their religion was before. But I don’t know how you can say that you are proud of being a Muslim, just because you were born into a Muslim family.

I’m not sure If I posted this thread in the appropriate section, so mods please feel free to move it to the right section.

[hareem01]

Re: Why are people so proud?

And what makes you say that all those who born in muslim families are muslims just because they're born in a muslim household?

[notorious]

Even in Muslim families there are people who one day begin to question their faith. After knowing more about it, they can embrace Islam in a different way than before because after questioning Islam (why am I Muslim, what if it's the wrong religion, would I have chosen it if I wouldn't have been born in a muslim family, why do Muslims do this or forbid that, is this or that really forbidden in Islam or not, etc.) they discover what Islam really is about, they can see Islam separate from their culture and then realise that it really is the true religion. That's what happened to me and I'm proud to be a Muslim.

I'm proud of many things. Like my behaviour. After having been in a vulgar neighbourhood for the last few years, where even my children have learnt vulgar language and behaviour from the neighbourhood kids, I've finally decided not to let it influence my own character and my upbringing of my children. I've decided to remain myself, not become like most of the vulgar neighbours but remain myself and try not to let my children become vulgar like the neighbourhood children (like trying to break our bike, stealing both the bikes of my children, things like that, that's very vulgar). For a while I thought that perhaps we should become a little bit like them, but not in everything, just in one or two things, so it might be easier to deal with them, but I've realised now that I should remain myself and I should raise my children as I was raising them first. We only have very few people in our neighbourhood who aren't vulgar (they don't break someone elses property, they don't steal someone elses property, they don't start fights, etc. there are unfortunately too few people like that in our neighbourhood) I'm proud at myself and my children. I don't care what other people think about us. Most people hate us. But yet, it doesn't matter to me so I'm very proud of that too.

Being proud means (to me) acknowledging that you could to do something difficult.

There is a difference between being just proud or being arrogant in a negative way.

[Zapatista]

And what makes you say that all those who born in muslim families are muslims just because they're born in a muslim household?

This is off topic but anyway...

It's the case with all religions, not only Islam.

Go observe the behaviour of most Muslims, and you'll find out what makes me think that they're only Muslims because they were born into a Muslim family.

Even in Muslim families there are people who one day begin to question their faith. After knowing more about it, they can embrace Islam in a different way than before because after questioning Islam (why am I Muslim, what if it's the wrong religion, would I have chosen it if I wouldn't have been born in a muslim family, why do Muslims do this or forbid that, is this or that really forbidden in Islam or not, etc.) they discover what Islam really is about, they can see Islam separate from their culture and then realise that it really is the true religion. That's what happened to me and I'm proud to be a Muslim.

I'm proud of many things. Like my behaviour. After having been in a vulgar neighbourhood for the last few years, where even my children have learnt vulgar language and behaviour from the neighbourhood kids, I've finally decided not to let it influence my own character and my upbringing of my children. I've decided to remain myself, not become like most of the vulgar neighbours but remain myself and try not to let my children become vulgar like the neighbourhood children (like trying to break our bike, stealing both the bikes of my children, things like that, that's very vulgar). For a while I thought that perhaps we should become a little bit like them, but not in everything, just in one or two things, so it might be easier to deal with them, but I've realised now that I should remain myself and I should raise my children as I was raising them first. We only have very few people in our neighbourhood who aren't vulgar (they don't break someone elses property, they don't steal someone elses property, they don't start fights, etc. there are unfortunately too few people like that in our neighbourhood) I'm proud at myself and my children. I don't care what other people think about us. Most people hate us. But yet, it doesn't matter to me so I'm very proud of that too.

Being proud means (to me) acknowledging that you could to do something difficult.

There is a difference between being just proud or being arrogant in a negative way.

Don't be offended when I say this brother, but you aren't doing anything great If you don't curse, you are only doing something which you are supposed to. It's like a father in a society where kids are raised mostly by single mom's saying "I take care of my kids". Well what great are you doing? You are doing something which you're supposed to, it's your responsibility.

You can be arrogant in a good way? LOL

Instead of being proud about such things, we should rather be thankful to God that he's giving us the power to be decent human beings and good Muslims in the societies that we're living in today.

[notorious]

@라시드

Don't be offended when I say this brother, but you aren't doing anything great If you don't curse, you are only doing something which you are supposed to. It's like a father in a society where kids are raised mostly by single mom's saying "I take care of my kids". Well what great are you doing? You are doing something which you're supposed to, it's your responsibility.

You can be arrogant in a good way? LOL

Instead of being proud about such things, we should rather be thankful to God that he's giving us the power to be decent human beings and good Muslims in the societies that we're living in today.

Well, I'm not a brother, but I don't mind the mistake, since most of my life I wanted to be a male anyway.

Yes, I know it's our responsibility not to curse and not to do other negative things. You're absolutely right about that.

But you know, it's not always easy to remain quiet when other people insult you with curses, sometimes people say such hurtful things to you, it can become difficult not to say anything back, not to react, not to curse back. I'm proud of myself and other people who are able to remain calm in such situations and not to curse and insult back, that's not easy to do.

And no, I didn't say you can be arrogant in a good way, I said you can be just proud about something difficult you've achieved or overcome. :)

Just something I wanted to say, which is a bit off topic, is that mostly we look at other peoples faults and negative things in life. Whenever someone makes a mistake or whenever someone is falsely accused of making a mistake which never occurred, people only look at that. I think it's important to focus on something positive too, when there is something positive, that should be acknowledged too. There often seems to be much more attention to negative things in life than on the positive things.

[aurchaepiyo]

I agree that being "proud" of that which we did not ourselves accomplish -- like accidents of birth -- are silly. Sometimes I wonder when people say such things ("I'm proud to be an American" or Pakistani or Punjabi etc), what they really mean to say is that they are not ashamed of this circumstance of birth. Which is setting a pretty low, and pathetic, standard of self-esteem.

And I think that pride and religion are antithetical by their very definition. Should be, anyway.

[Zapatista]

@notorious

Well, I'm not a brother, but I don't mind the mistake, since most of my life I wanted to be a male anyway.

Yes, I know it's our responsibility not to curse and not to do other negative things. You're absolutely right about that.

But you know, it's not always easy to remain quiet when other people insult you with curses, sometimes people say such hurtful things to you, it can become difficult not to say anything back, not to react, not to curse back. I'm proud of myself and other people who are able to remain calm in such situations and not to curse and insult back, that's not easy to do.

And no, I didn't say you can be arrogant in a good way, I said you can be just proud about something difficult you've achieved or overcome. :)

Just something I wanted to say, which is a bit off topic, is that mostly we look at other peoples faults and negative things in life. Whenever someone makes a mistake or whenever someone is falsely accused of making a mistake which never occurred, people only look at that. I think it's important to focus on something positive too, when there is something positive, that should be acknowledged too. There often seems to be much more attention to negative things in life than on the positive things.

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know you were a sister.

@aurchaepiyo

I agree that being "proud" of that which we did not ourselves accomplish -- like accidents of birth -- are silly. Sometimes I wonder when people say such things ("I'm proud to be an American" or Pakistani or Punjabi etc), what they really mean to say is that they are not ashamed of this circumstance of birth. Which is setting a pretty low, and pathetic, standard of self-esteem.

And I think that pride and religion are antithetical by their very definition. Should be, anyway.

Post of the day. :biggthumb

Technically it was yesterday's post of the day, but I forgot to reply. LOL

[soni27]

bcs paksitanis have a complex. so they keep acting proud in front of everyone.

[kakaballi]

Re: Why are people so proud?

Pride is an inherent social emotion in human beings. You are proud that your child said 'daddy' today. You are proud that your mother cooks so well. This emotion extends from one's family to tribe to geographical area to nation. Theoretically, one should not be proud of Manchester United doing well if you are a supporter. But what we see is contrary to it, people who have never been to Manchester, let alone contributing to their success, are 'proud' of their antics on the football field.