Don’t Let Pride Get in the Way of Your Relationship

I was struck with this quote one afternoon while browsing my cellphone: “If your pride is bigger than your heart and your ego is bigger than your head, grow up or you will be alone for life.”

A friend was teary-eyed when he confided that he wanted to reconcile with his ex-wife but he was afraid that his move might be rejected. He said that he felt that he was at fault because while they were together he never entertained nor listened his wife when she complained, especially that her career took a backseat when she took care of their children. Every time she complained he would just say, “Life is what you make it.”

One day, out of the blow his wife told him that she wanted a divorce now that their children were  all grown up. He was shocked on hearing what his wife told him. It was like a bolt of lightning from nowhere

Years have passed and his desire to reconcile with his ex-wife still haunts him in his waking hours. On his fear of rejection, I told him that what is important is that he would make the first move. If his wife would not accept his request for reconciliation, then so be it. What is important is that he would do his part.

An unknown writer in the pinterest.com website shares, “It’s okay to lose your pride over someone you love.  Don’t lose someone you love over your pride.”

One may ask, “Why is pride bad in a relationship?”  A writer in Google opines, “Humans don’t respond well to being put down, and pride gives others that feeling with its ‘better than you’, implications. Humility has the opposite effect. Many relationship issues are caused by pride. If you can’t admit you’re wrong, it’s your pride telling to ‘win’ the argument.”

Another writer believes, “It’s better to swallow our pride and be happy than having pride stand in the way, and we are unhappy.”

Here are some foods-for-thought worth considering from the pinterest.com website:

• Don’t let pride be your guide.

• Apologize when you’re wrong. Never let your pride be bigger than your relationships.

• We all make mistakes. Don’t let that be the reason you give up on somebody.

• Don’t let your ego ruin your relationship.

• EGO – three letters that hold you back from saying things your heart is dying to say like, “I love you,” “I miss you,” and “I am sorry.”

• Most relationships fail because couples fight with pride more than they work with love.

• Let’s not forget it’s you and me versus the problem… not you versus me.