Can you take the initiative and swallow your pride?
It's hard to own up to your mistakes and to risk embarrassment. It's hard to put your ego aside? Can you do it?
-Orly Katz
In the middle of a serious argument, you face everyone and say something that turns out to be nonsense. Will you swallow your pride, face everyone, and say “Actually, I was mistaken”?
A friend came back from a trip and brought everyone in the class a little souvenir, and only you got nothing. When someone asks if you received a gift, will you swallow your pride and say “no”?
You hurt your best friend. After you calm down, you realize you behaved really badly. Will you swallow your pride and say you’re sorry?
The most popular boy in class is putting down the nerdiest girl. This bothers you, but you’re afraid you’ll be laughed at too. Would you still tell him to stop?
In math class, the teacher explains an exercise, and you don’t understand it. You ask, she explains it to you again, but you still don’t understand it. Would you ask her again?
You are afraid to swallow your pride:
Your ego is large and controls you. The most important thing to you is your honor, and because of this you are missing your inner truth. You don’t want to swallow your pride and are afraid people will laugh at you if you do so. My recommendation: simply try it. If you hurt a friend, nothing bad will happen if you say you’re sorry. Quite the opposite. You’ll be loyal to yourself and receive much more honor.
You vs. your ego. Who will win?
Your ego is elusive. Sometimes you put it aside, and rightly so. Other times it overrules you. My recommendation: try and see that a small ego is actually a great advantage. Nothing bad will happen if in the middle of an argument, you’re the first to say: “Enough, stop it, we are acting like two idiots. Let’s make up”. This doesn’t indicate weakness, quite the opposite.
You can swallow your pride:
You know how to put your ego aside. And you’re right. You’re loyal to your truth and have no problem with admitting a mistake, asking for forgiveness, and following your heart. This really doesn’t mean you’re not respected. It’s precisely because of this that your friends appreciate and respect you. You are very mature for your age. Well done!