You rarely admit you’re wrong, apologizing is very difficult, being corrected is out of the question, constant faultfinding. Does any of this sound like your interactions with your significant other? These are just a few examples of the many ways that pride may be present in your relationship. Pride for many is the easiest sin to commit but can sometimes be the hardest to identify. This is because of the fine line between selfish and self-centered.
It is always important to make sure that you take care of yourself in aspects such as mental health, physical health, spiritual, etc. I am in no way suggesting that someone abandon and neglect their own essential needs. However, when someone looks solely inward and doesn’t consider others, that is harmful and prideful. From many of my observations, pride come from enmity toward the Lord and results in a low self-esteem. They focus on how everything effects themselves which results in self-conceit and self-pity.
People would care more about the thoughts of others rather than the way the Lord thinks of them. Described by Boyd K. Packer, some other ways that pride can be seen is through “gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous.” You heard me right. Jealousy is a form of pride. This stems from the idea that if someone else succeeds then we somehow fail. This process of thinking is destructive to relationships. In a relationship it is vital to look outward and turn toward each other. When pride is present, the individual is looking inward on how they feel and fails to see the needs of the other individual. This leads to toxic behaviors and stunts the progression of the relationship.
Marriage requires an attitude of looking outward towards each other. It is easy to see how pride, which causes individuals to turn inward, has no place in a marriage or family. Pride breeds contention, anger, and malice. To prevent these ill feelings, it is essential to keep Christ the center of the marriage. Forgive easily and find opportunities to uplift one another instead of tearing each other down.
Defining Normal 