What is Pride?

St. Augustine on pride:

"Pride is the craving for undeserved glory. And this is undeserved glory: when the soul abandons the One it should cling to for sufficiency and becomes self-reliant.

"This happens when the soul is satisfied with itself. It falls away from the unchangeable good that would satisfy it more than itself. And this falling away is spontaneous.

"For the will should remain in love with the higher, changeless good that illumines it to intelligence and kindles it into love. Then it wouldn't become so dark and cold by turning to find satisfaction in itself.

"We didn't fall so far away that we became absolutely nothing. Instead, by turning toward ourselves, our souls became more secluded than when we clung to the Supreme One. Similarly, to exist in oneself, that is, to be one's own satisfaction after abandoning God, isn't to become a nobody. But, the holy Scriptures designate another name to proud people: 'self-pleasers.'

"Therefore, it is good to lift up the heart. But it isn't good to lift it up to oneself; that is pride. It is good only to lift our hearts up to the Lord, for that is obedience and humility."

—St. Augustine, from City of God, 14.3.