One of the most admirable qualities a person can possess is humility -- one who does good deeds without seeking a pat on the back for them.
On the flip side, pride is among the most unflattering characteristics I can think of. I speak of those who think they're always right -- no matter what. They have a chronic inability to find fault in anything they say or do.
Unfortunately, even those we call friends can sometimes fall in this bucket. None of my buddies are big on saying "sorry." After they've said or done something that rubbed me the wrong way, they simply wait a few days and hope I will have forgotten about it by then.
Last year, I apologized to a friend for promising to do something with him and later reneging on that promise. I realized it was wrong of me to back out of something I pledged to do, and I would never want him or anyone else to do the same thing to me. It taught me to never promise anything again unless I was committed to following through to the hilt.
However, this friend is something of a hypocrite in that he's agreed to hang out on a number of occasions -- stopping short of promising to show up -- and then leaves me hanging.
If you're going to be high-and-mighty and hold others to their word, you better practice what you preach. I have observed that many people who come off as self-righteous prove very unreliable when you turn to them for something.
Of all the human vices known to man, arrogance has to be at the top of the list. I can't stand when people have such inflated egos as to act like they're better than their partner, friends, relatives, and coworkers.
It's these people we should do our best to avoid like the plague. One who exudes humility, on the other hand, is a keeper.
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