Pride

Is pride only admirable when beliefs or practices are supported by like-minded individuals? In the instance of sexuality, “pride” is the expression of accepting yourself and others for who they really are, even if it’s not “socially” accepted. But isn’t it a beautiful thing when many come together and change the perception of “normal” and ignore the hatred of others so they can engage in uninterrupted happiness? But why is it that pride of oneself can be perceived as cockiness and/or arrogance? Is it because you’re alone in the act of providing your worth and there isn’t a community to validate you? Shouldn’t your self-validation be enough?

When I was younger I learned to hide my skillsets and pride so that I wouldn’t be targeted by others and labeled by their false perception of my character. Which eventually brought upon self-conflict; can your hidden self-worth be considered pride? If you’re not able to be open about your pride maybe you’re not proud at all.

There are negative instances of pride being promoted by communities that support their claims and ideology; hate groups form in efforts of belittling practices they choose to not understand. In such instances maybe you shouldn’t wait for your pride to be validated. It seems in the matter of pride your own validation is the only thing that truly holds merit.