Q&A: Character Traits
Character Traits
Question
What is arrogance, and why is it a bad character trait?
Answer
It seems to me that you understand very well what arrogance is. If you have a specific question, please go ahead and formulate it. It is a bad trait for two main reasons: 1. The falsehood involved in it. You are wrapped up in yourself and full of yourself. You have nothing to be arrogant about regarding things you did not achieve yourself, but rather abilities you were born with, and so on. About things that you did achieve, you are certainly allowed to take pride. “One-eighth of one-eighth” for a Torah scholar. 2. The problematic consequences. Arrogance leads to contempt for other people.
Discussion on Answer
Maybe if values are abstract entities, then there are only positive values?
That is #1.
Maybe yes, and maybe no.
Is that the only drawback of arrogance? Maybe there is something wrong with arrogance in itself, in that it is a disgraceful trait—according to your terminology, a negative value.