pride has a fall essay

English Essay on “Pride Goes Before a Fall” English Essay-Paragraph-Speech for Class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 CBSE Students and competitive Examination.

Pride Goes Before a Fall

Pride is born but of overconfidence. It is considered to be a sin. Pride often results in weakness. There are many things which create pride in marl. These are riches, status, power, recognition, ability, etc. The saying that pride goes before a fall is proved by many instances. Take, for example, the story of the hare and the tortoise. The hare was very confident of running fast and reaching the destination before time. He slept on the way and lost the race to the tortoise. It is seen that many students who scored high marks have become so over-confident of their achievements that they consider themselves as above average and neglect their studies. As result, they lose their high position. On the other hand, many weak students work very hard and, in the end, they surpass the brilliant students. The feeling of pride in achievement makes a person slack. It is the cause of laziness. A proud person is self-centered. He does not like to listen to other people’s advice. He thinks that he knows everything. One must learn from the examples that pride had resulted in the fall of many. One should be humble in life.

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Essay On Pride Goes Before A Fall (200 Words)

In this article, we’ll write an essay on “Pride Goes Before a Fall” in 200 words. So, read to the end.

Introduction

Pride goes before a fall” is a timeless adage that conveys a profound truth about human nature. This proverb, often attributed to the Bible, encapsulates the idea that excessive pride or arrogance can precede a person’s downfall. It serves as a cautionary tale, urging individuals to cultivate humility and avoid the pitfalls of hubris.

Throughout history, literature, and folklore, numerous examples illustrate the consequences of unchecked pride. One classic example is the Greek myth of Icarus. Despite his father Daedalus’ warning, Icarus, fueled by pride and ambition, flew too close to the sun with wings made of wax. The wax melted, leading to his tragic fall into the sea. This cautionary tale symbolizes the dangers of disregarding wise counsel and succumbing to overconfidence.

In literature, characters often grapple with the repercussions of pride. Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” vividly portrays how the protagonist’s unchecked ambition and pride lead to his eventual downfall. As Macbeth succumbs to his hubris, his actions spiral out of control, culminating in tragedy.

Real-life examples further emphasize the validity of this proverb. Historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Julius Caesar, renowned for their military prowess, experienced downfalls due in part to their overreaching pride. Their stories serve as cautionary reminders that even the most accomplished individuals can be vulnerable to the pitfalls of arrogance.

The essence of the proverb lies in its admonition against complacency. It suggests that success and achievements should not breed an inflated sense of self-worth. Individuals who become overly proud risk losing touch with reality, paving the way for unforeseen challenges.

In the context of secondary school, students are at a critical stage of personal and academic development. The proverb serves as valuable guidance, encouraging them to celebrate accomplishments while maintaining humility. Success in academics or extracurricular activities should be a source of motivation rather than a justification for arrogance.

Moreover, the school environment itself provides ample opportunities for students to learn the importance of humility. Participation in team activities, collaborative projects, and interactions with peers fosters social skills and emphasizes the collective nature of success. Understanding that everyone contributes to a shared goal promotes a sense of humility that can be instrumental in future endeavors.

Educators, too, play a pivotal role in instilling this lesson. Encouraging students to acknowledge their strengths while recognizing areas for improvement fosters a healthy perspective on success. Classroom discussions, reflections, and feedback mechanisms contribute to the development of a well-rounded individual who values both personal achievements and collective progress.

In conclusion, “pride goes before a fall” is a timeless lesson that resonates with individuals at all stages of life, including those navigating the challenges of secondary school. Its relevance lies in its ability to transcend cultural and temporal boundaries, offering a universal truth about the consequences of unchecked pride. As students embark on their educational journeys, embracing this wisdom can shape not only their academic success but also their character, preparing them for a future marked by resilience, humility , and a balanced sense of achievement.

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The Pitfalls of the Prideful Hero: Pride before the Fall

This essay is about the inherent dangers of pride, highlighting how excessive arrogance can lead to downfall. Drawing from examples in mythology, literature, history, and contemporary society, it explores the consequences of unchecked hubris. From the myth of Icarus to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the fall of empires like Rome, the essay underscores the universal truth that pride precedes a fall. It warns against the intoxicating allure of power and ambition, urging humility and self-awareness as antidotes to hubris. Through various narratives, it emphasizes the importance of recognizing one’s limitations and vulnerabilities to avoid the pitfalls of pride. Whether in personal endeavors, political leadership, or corporate pursuits, the essay advocates for a balanced approach that eschews arrogance in favor of humility and restraint. Ultimately, it serves as a timely reminder that true strength lies not in overestimating oneself but in acknowledging one’s flaws and limitations. You can also find more related free essay samples at PapersOwl about Hero.

How it works

Pride, a double-edged sword revered in American culture, often heralded as a symbol of strength and self-assurance, carries within it the seeds of downfall. The age-old adage, “pride cometh before the fall,” encapsulates the timeless truth that excessive pride or hubris can lead to one’s eventual undoing. Throughout history, literature, and contemporary society, countless examples illuminate the perilous path of unchecked arrogance.

In American folklore, the tale of Icarus serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of hubris. Emboldened by his father’s craftsmanship and fueled by youthful arrogance, Icarus soared too close to the sun with wings made of wax.

His pride in his abilities blinded him to the dangers, resulting in his catastrophic downfall as the wax melted, sending him plummeting into the sea. This cautionary myth underscores the folly of overestimating one’s capabilities and the dire repercussions it can bring.

Similarly, in literature, characters like Shakespeare’s tragic hero Macbeth exemplify the perils of unchecked pride. His initial success on the battlefield and the prophecies of greatness stoke his ambition and inflate his ego. However, his unchecked pride blinds him to the moral consequences of his actions, leading to his eventual demise. Through Macbeth’s tragic arc, Shakespeare warns against the intoxicating allure of hubris and its inevitable consequences.

Moreover, history is replete with cautionary tales of individuals and empires brought low by their hubris. The fall of mighty civilizations such as the Roman Empire serves as a stark reminder of the corrosive effects of arrogance and complacency. Overconfidence in their military prowess and cultural superiority led to neglect of internal strife and external threats, ultimately resulting in their collapse. The annals of history are littered with the ruins of once-great powers whose pride blinded them to their vulnerabilities.

In contemporary society, the phenomenon of hubris finds expression in various spheres, from politics to business and beyond. Political leaders intoxicated by their own power often succumb to the pitfalls of pride, disregarding the welfare of their constituents in pursuit of personal glory. Similarly, corporate titans driven by insatiable ambition and arrogance disregard ethical boundaries, leading to financial scandals and corporate collapses. The examples abound, serving as cautionary tales for those who dare to tread the treacherous path of unchecked pride.

In conclusion, the adage “pride cometh before the fall” resonates across time and cultures as a timeless warning against the dangers of hubris. Whether in myth, literature, history, or contemporary society, the consequences of unchecked pride are universal and inevitable. As Americans, we must heed these lessons and cultivate humility, recognizing that true strength lies not in arrogance but in self-awareness and restraint. Only then can we avoid the pitfalls of hubris and strive for enduring greatness without succumbing to the fate of those who came before us.

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The meaning and origin of the expression: Pride comes before a fall

Pride comes before a fall

• American origin

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Pride comes before a fall'?

The proverbial saying 'pride comes before a fall' is a warning that haughtiness and hubris leads to failure and loss.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Pride comes before a fall'?

The proverb 'pride comes before a fall' was originally 'pride goes before a fall' and this variant is still commonly used.

In fact, neither version is exactly as the proverb was originally written. The line comes from the Bible and is found, appropriately, in Proverbs 16:18. This is the current King James Version text:

Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

This has been used in biblical versions since at least Wycliffe's Bible in 1382:

Pride goth befor contricioun, & befor falling the spirit shall ben enhauncid.

The action or fact of lapsing into sin or folly, or of yielding to temptation; moral decline, descent, or ruin.

This is the fall that Eve, the original fallen woman, was said to have suffered by tasting the apple of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So, if early users of the proverb spoke of pride going before contrition or destruction or shame, when did people start saying 'pride comes before a fall' ?

The Coverdale Bible of 1535 includes the verse in Proverbs 29:23:

After pryde commeth a fall, but a lowly sprete bryngeth greate worshipe.

The modern wording of 'pride comes before a fall' is first found in England. The earliest citation that I can find of that form was printed in An Exposition of the Old Testament , 1810, by the English theologian John Gill. Gill died in 1771 and the expression was probably known in its current form from before then, although it may be that the 1810 publication altered Gill's original wording.

It's notable that the best known personification of pride in English literature - Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, didn't result in his downfall and failure; the novel concludes with his happy marriage to Elizabeth Bennet.

[ My thanks to Peter Lukacs,  ElizabethanDrama.org for the 1535 and 1810 citations. ]

By Gary Martin

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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Pride Has A Fall (Essay Sample)

Pride here refers to manifest too high an opinion of oneself, one’s possession, and position. Pride causes a person to think that one is snobbish to others. One’s accomplishments in life are due to hard work and one’s pain. But one should never be proud of achievements in life. Whenever pride starts to manifest, there begins one’s misfortunes. A proud person will have little concern for others and regard others with contempt. One who has pride will ultimately stand defeat or encounter with a disgraceful end. When a proud person encounters with a terrible end, other people will have no concern for him. History is full of cases of influential people who came to downfall because of the proud personality.  This essay strives to describe pride and few cases of pride and how the subjects met their downfall.

Cases of pride followed influential monarchs who came to downfall because of their proud personality. King John of England encountered his disgraceful end because of his overbearing and proud personality. The arrogance of Russian Czars and French emperors caused their downfall. Hitler an influential ruler was proud of his influence and power. This wrong pride of his power demonstrated finally to be the source of his death and downfall. The British as well were proud of their influence and power and took control over India. The British used to state with pride that “The sun on no occasion sets on the British empire.” One would ask, where is that pride now? The British vacated India with all their belongings. They had to acknowledge India as an independent republic just like every nation they colonized.

Another case of pride follows a man who lived a rich business man. This man was too proud of his wealth that he used to mistreat the poor. While replacing his bed sheet, he lay down on his warm bed to see how it perceived to sleep in a cozy bed. He felt comfortable that he rested there soundly. One day the rich man happened to come in his bed room only to find his servant sleeping on his bed with dirty clothes. The rich man woke his servant up and said to him with fury, “How dare you wretch sleep in my cozy bed!” the rich man then got him whipped black and blue and later fired him. As downfall may have it, one day fire started in his shop destroyed everything. Another day an earthquake destroyed his mansion and slaying his sons and wife and returning him a disable man. A crippled man and a pauper, as he was returned, he started to beg for charity to support himself. One day the servant whom he gave grave whippings saw him beseeching in the street. He took him to his home and said to him politely, “sir, you do not need to beseech in the street. Hence I shall look after you as you had once been my keeper. The business man was much remorseful that he could not even start to thank his supporter.

In conclusion, pride goes before a fall. People on no occasion have any affection for anyone who is overbearing, over confident, and proud. It is preferable to humble oneself than to have supremacy aggregation. Habitual pride not only cause downfall but also makes you appear foolish. Proud people only notice this when they meet a serious situation in one’s life and the incident happens to teach them a dear lesson.

Pride Goes Before a fall Story in English with moral values

Pride goes before a fall story | Pride goes before a fall example | Pride goes before a fall proverb expansion | Meaning of pride goes before a fall

Write a story ending with this saying; Pride goes before a fall.

Pride Goes Before a fall Story

I t is true of the saying that pride goes before a fall. I have seen many people whose lives were full of pride.

Their lives were ended in misery. One of them was the arrogant rainmaker in my village. He had arrogated himself with the gods and challenged God.

He carried his shoulders so high and called himself “the god of the rain” Ajuana was the name of the rainmaker.

He terrorized the whole community with his rain-making charms Anyone who did not have the resources to settle him was in great trouble. It was just like the day Ukanwa, the childless widow, was buried.

She was a poor widow and had no one to pay off the rainmakers.

On the day of her burial, Ajuana did what he was known for. He made sure the sky wept water and blood.

The poor widow’s grave was flooded. But the members of St. Joseph’s parish managed to bury Ukanwa under the rain.

Men and women, old and young, worked tirelessly to see that the flood was drained from the grave. Hastily, the parish priest blessed the grave and ordered them to lay her coffin down the grave.

They were drained beyond measure, including the priest and the servants. Ajuana did not believe his ears when he heard that a family in Uchula had vowed not to pay him homage for their burial preparations.

To be sure, went to the family to find out why they have not come to settle him. They were not afraid to tell him off.

They told him that heaven and earth belong to God. He left the family humiliated. But he promised them a bleeding and moody sky on the day of their brother’s funeral and they made a bet.

On the burial day, the family brought home some men who called themselves “The Psalmists”.

Theirs were to pray prayers continuously. At the back of Ajuana’s house, he was at his rain-making corner.

He stood and went into his kitchen and gathered additional dry tendrils and dry coconut fronds. With these two items and kerosene, making fire was as easy as a snap of the finger.

When the fire produced flames, he sat down at his usual sitting position, his goat-skin bag already by his side.

He was in a haste to bring down the rain. So, he doubled his charms and tactics. Like, instead of placing the fresh herbal leaves one at a time, he doubled each leaf.

He stuffed his nostrils with a double scoop of snuff simultaneously and took a deep breath to send the deadly tobacco into his brain.

This method of snuffing gave him uncontrollable sneezing which caused his nose and eyes to cry tears.

When he noticed that there was a strange force hampering the rainmaking, he jumped into his goat barn and slaughtered a pregnant goat.

He poured the blood like liberation on the rain-stone and rain finally came. He went into his house pacing about.

He bragged and hailed himself. He did not end there, Ajuana aimed to mock his contenders.

He was determined to defy the flood in order to publicly shame and laugh at the bereaved family. He left his house amidst the heavy rain.

At a bend where he would cross a bridge, he tripped. He fell into a surged bridge. The rainmaker was drowned and carried into the river by the flood.

His corpse was not found up to date. Pride goes before a fall!

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English Short Story and English Moral Story ”Pride Has a Fall” Complete Story for Class 9, Class 10, Class 12 and other classes.

Pride Has a Fall

It was high autumn. An olive tree and a fig tree stood near each other. The fig tree had lost all his leaves and became quite bare. Seeing his neighbour, the olive tree puffed up with pride.

The olive tree taunted the fig tree, “How unlucky you are! You lose your leaves every autumn to be bare. But I flourish all the year round.”

The fig tree argued, “Friend! It’s my destiny to be bare and yours to be evergreen. But there is nothing to feel small or proud about it. It is out of control of both of us.”

Few days later, there occurred a snow-fall. The snow settled on the leaves of the olive tree and gave way under its heavy weight. But as for the fig tree, the snow fell to the ground through its bare branches and it survived the snow-storm.

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Pride Hath a Fall Story in English for Children

The pride hath a fall story is a phenomenal short story like many other short stories that can be narrated to children.

The story conveys the importance of humility to the children.

An Introduction to the Pride Hath a Fall Story

The pride hath a fall story revolves around an oak tree and the reeds. The story shows how pride can lead to a fall. The oak tree being proud of himself faces the consequences later. Children will come to know how pride is just a paper-thin image that can be easily torn by the slightest impact. At any moment, the real person with all of their insecurities and flaws can be easily revealed to the world. The true colours of a person are a brilliant mix of merit and fault and one should not be ashamed of them. This has been represented in the pride hath a fall story.

Pride Hath a Fall Story 

Once upon a time, there was an oak tree that lived near the banks of the river. The reeds also used to stay near the river. The oak tree stood tall and strong near the river banks and was close to the reeds. The oak tree was huge and also had a huge trunk. The tree was proud of itself. It had hundreds of strong and big branches. The oak tree was so proud that it used to boast about itself. It used to tell everyone that he was mighty and strong. The oak tree used to tell the reeds proudly that nothing can break him or uproot him because he was so strong. The reeds warned the oak tree to not be proud of himself. They told the oak tree that nothing in this world is immortal and that only being modest is the key. The oak tree used to make fun of the reeds and call them feeble. The tree claimed that he had great strength and he was the strongest tree in the jungle.

After making fun of the reeds, the oak tree stood there with pride and the wind started blowing. The reeds began to bow their heads because the wind was getting stronger. On seeing this, the oak tree again made fun of the reeds and called them weak and petite.

The oak tree mockingly said that the slightest of the winds can make the reeds bow their heads. According to the oak tree, the reeds would not be able to survive the strong storms because they were weak.

The winds soon turned into a hurricane. The oak tree continued to laugh at the reeds while standing in pride. The wise reeds told the oak tree that they would be able to survive in the strong hurricane by bowing their heads. They told the oak tree that if he continued standing straight, he would not be able to survive these strong winds and they would break him.

The oak did not listen to the reeds and continued boasting himself. The oak told the reeds that nothing can uproot him. The winds got very furious and the hurricane took its peak. The reeds kept their heads bowed. The oak tree that was standing straight tried fighting the winds and fell into the river. Thus, it was the end of the oak tree. The tree drifted in the water and cried over his false pride. 

A Beautiful and Huge Oak Tree

Moral of the Story Pride Hath a Fall

This story is one of the best short stories with a moral attached to it. It teaches the children to never be proud of themselves. They should always remain humble or else they will have to suffer. Unhealthy pride happens when we say or do things for people praising us for making ourselves feel good. Pride wants us to be praised, worshipped, get the glory and also be highly talked about.

An unhealthy pride can give an elated view of yourself which is not good and can lead to our fall as has been depicted in the story. Pride generally comes from fear of shame or embarrassment. If a person is willing to laugh at himself and if he is ready to admit that he doesn't know everything, he will be able to ignore the prideful thoughts that enter his mind easily.

Note to the Parent

Parents should teach their kids that the first step towards recognising their pride is to know when they become too prideful. The children should be introspective but not too hard on themselves. Once they start listening to their thoughts and start thinking about others, they will be able to exercise better control over pride. Parents should teach their children to adopt moral behaviour.

Adults have more knowledge, experience, and also authority than children. It is beneficial for the kids to look up to their parents. It also enables the art of learning in the kids. Only a humble child can learn from his parents. An arrogant child cannot learn from anyone.

FAQs on Pride Hath a Fall Story in English for Children

1. What did the oak tree claim?

The oak tree claimed that he was the strongest in the jungle and no one could uproot him. He boasted about his strength to the reeds.

2. Why did the oak tree mock the reeds?

The oak tree mocked the reeds because they used to bow to protect themselves whenever a wind came.

3. Why did the oak tree fall in the river?

The oak tree stood standing straight when there was a strong hurricane. The oak tree did not bow and hence he was destroyed and fell into the river.

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Home — Application Essay — Liberal Arts Schools — Pride Before the Fall

Pride Before the Fall

• University: Michigan State University

About this sample

Words: 781 |

Published: Dec 27, 2022

Words: 781 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

When I chose to select this essay prompt, many of my friends thought I was insane. All things considered, for what reason would I tell strangers, particularly college admission officials, that I had failed at something. Besides, how do we even characterize failure? Does it mean not measuring up to other's standards? Or does it merely just mean making an effort without accomplishing the ideal result? Either way, I have learned that failing is inevitable, and instead of fearing and resisting failure, we should embrace our flaws because they shape us into better versions of ourselves.

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'Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned'?

This was not apparent to me when I was younger. Typically, at a more premature age, individuals choose to believe that they are infallible, and this mindset is ironically what causes us to fail due to “pride before the fall”. Furthermore, during this period we become so self-obsessed that we don't even pay the slightest attention to the world or others around us, which is a fatal quality to have. I can vouch for this firsthand based on a traumatic experience I had with my sister.

My sister had struggled with depression her whole life and thankfully it had been dormant for the past couple of months, but as time passed she started to exhibit behaviors

suggesting its presence, but me being so consumed with my own self-interests I was completely ignorant of the signs of its return. I had recently obtained tickets to an Ed Sheeran concert, I was elated, and the one person I wanted to go with was my sister. As days passed by at a snail-like pace, the day of the concert had finally arrived, I was shaking with anticipation, but something was wrong, I had tried to contact my sister all day, but to no avail, she had not been responding. I was infuriated, how could she just not show up? How could she do this to me? That's the thing, I was so infatuated with my own dilemmas I didn't take the time to, nor did I care, to stop and ask why she wasn't responding. When she did finally respond she was filled with a lethal amount of remorse, apologizing profusely, and I told her to save her breath for she had let me down too many times and this was the last straw. To say that I was furious was an understatement, it was like I had gone into battle and my merciless words were my sword. I was in such a cloud of rage that I didn't even think as to how my hurtful words might have affected her.

I almost lost my sister that day. On the way back from the concert, my dad and I received the news that my sister had been admitted into the hospital for drinking a fatal amount of bleach. The car was silent. Rereading the messages that I had previously sent made me feel more guilty by the second. How could I have said those ruthless things? Was I the cause of this horrifying event? Out of the thousands of thoughts racing through my head one was extremely obtrusive - I had failed her. Not only did I let my emotions take control of me, but I failed to perceive the signs of her potent illness. Due to my selfishness, I almost lost one of the most treasured and salient people in my life. I did not take this lightly. Thankfully, they pumped her stomach and she recovered remarkably fast, but from that day on, I vowed to myself that I would never let anything like this happen again. I had led the majority of my life treading on toes, and not even caring to look back at the effects that my actions had. But not anymore.

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As painful as it might be to accept when we have failed, it is crucial in the development of our being. My failure showed me that there was a problem in my actions, and that problem was me. If it wasn't for that traumatic experience I might’ve carried on being, for lack of better words, a narcissistic idiot. Since then, I have become more caring and attentive to the needs of others, which has not only helped me in my present life, but has also helped me develop into the type of person I want to be regarding my aspiration to be a teacher. In my opinion, teachers are the most selfless and attentive individuals on the planet. My whole life I have aspired to be one, and this specific failure, among a plethora of others, has molded me into the person I would be proud to call a teacher, and for that, I am eternally grateful.  

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English Short Story and Moral Story “Pride Has a Fall” Story for kids, Primary Class, Class 10 and Class 12

Pride Has a Fall

It was high autumn. An olive tree and a fig tree stood near each other. The fig tree had lost all his leaves and became quite bare. Seeing his neighbour, the olive tree puffed up with pride. The olive tree taunted the fig tree, “How unlucky you are! You lose your leaves every autumn to be bare. But I flourish all the year round.” The fig tree argued, “Friend! It’s my destiny to be bare and yours to be evergreen. But there is nothing to feel small or proud about it. It is out of control of both of us.” Few days later, there occurred a snow-fall. The snow settled on the leaves of the olive tree and gave way under its heavy weight. But as for the fig tree, the snow fell to the ground through its bare branches and it survived the snow-storm.

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Pride Comes Before the Fall Essay Example

• Pages: 3 (822 words)
• Published: March 25, 2017
• Type: Essay

In the play Macbeth, by William Shakespeare, Hecate says, “And you all know security is mortal’s chiefest enemy. ”(3. 5. 32-33). Security, is translated into modern English as “overconfidence”, so Hecate is saying that overconfidence is one main downfall that humans face. Although a ten-page, smarter sounding college level definition could probably be found, the standard dictionary definition of overconfidence is summed up in two words: too confident. It may seem comical that it is as simply put as this, but the definition is 100 percent accurate. To be too much of one thing can be destructive to a person, this is because the word “too” in this context means to have an excess of something.

People with too much money often are corrupt and live miserable lives. Like having too much money, to be overconfident can

also ruin lives. People who are cocky, arrogant, and full of themselves find it hard to make friends, and are always trying to prove themselves to others. Everything is a challenge to these people, and they usually believe that they are better than everyone else.

People who are overconfident get themselves into situations that they cannot handle and end up in dangerous scenarios. For all the faults and burdens overconfidence can cause, it can be deemed as the most destructive flaw in the human race. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. ” This is where the famous saying “Pride comes before the fall” comes from. The Bible states through this verse that a man who is prideful or overconfident will come to be destroyed and those who are arrogant will fall.

One reason wh

people who are overconfident or too proud tend to live lives that lead to destruction is because pride often blinds a man. When someone is too proud to do something, even if it is in their best interest, the pride is taking over their head. They ignore their natural instinct, like accepting help from someone, and try to take care of things themselves. The same thing goes for overconfidence.

When someone is overconfident, they tend to take on things that are over their heads. They are blinded by their own self-image and pride, and will not accept help from anyone. This can be very dangerous to an individual. Although being overconfident usually ends in destruction, confidence in itself is not a bad thing. In fact, confidence is a necessity.

People who lack confidence often do not have many friends, and are missing out on important social skills. Without confidence, it is nearly impossible to get a good job, meet new people, and succeed in life. When it comes to confidence, there is a balance point. The ideal point to be at would be the middle, in between overconfident and unconfident.Most people are at this point, but there are many who are at either of the two extremes.

For those who are overconfident, it is sometimes a dangerous characteristic, and it is essential to think things out thoroughly before attempting to conquer them. Larry Kersten said, “Before you attempt to beat the odds, be sure you could survive the odds beating you. ” This is a warning, or piece of advice to people who think they can do anything and beat the odds. It is very important to stop

and think about the consequences before one acts.

At the end of the play, Macbeth is fighting Macduff, and is very confident that he will win the fight. He says, “I bear a charmed life, which must not yield to one of woman born. ”(5. 8. 12-13). He says this because the witches told him that he would not be able to get killed by one born of a woman, so Macbeth is feeling very overconfident.

To which Macduff replies, “Despair thy charm, And let the angel when whom thou still hast served Tell thee, Macduff was from his mother’s womb Untimely ripped. ”(5. 8. 13-16).This completely blind-sides Macbeth because he is overconfident in himself and is expecting to win the fight between Macduff and him.

Now he feels intimidated, and the play follows the saying “pride comes before the fall”. Macbeth was prideful and overconfident, and then he is slain by Macduff and the play ends shortly. This is one of the best examples of “security” being one of mans greatest downfalls. If Macbeth had not been so overconfident, he might have been better prepared for his fight with Macduff and perhaps could have maybe even forced a victory in his favor.

Because he lets his fatal flaw get the best of him, Macbeth is destroyed and in the end, Macbeth pays the ultimate price for his foolish overconfidence, his life.

Works Cited

• “Larry Kersten Quotes. ” Think Exist. ThinkExist. com Quotations. 13 Jan. 2010. Web. 31 Oct.
• 2010. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes.
• British Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1999. page #'s. Print.
• The NIV Study Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2002. Print.
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AI Index: State of AI in 13 Charts

In the new report, foundation models dominate, benchmarks fall, prices skyrocket, and on the global stage, the U.S. overshadows.

This year’s AI Index — a 500-page report tracking 2023’s worldwide trends in AI — is out.

The index is an independent initiative at the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI), led by the AI Index Steering Committee, an interdisciplinary group of experts from across academia and industry. This year’s report covers the rise of multimodal foundation models, major cash investments into generative AI, new performance benchmarks, shifting global opinions, and new major regulations.

Don’t have an afternoon to pore through the findings? Check out the high level here.

A Move Toward Open-Sourced

This past year, organizations released 149 foundation models, more than double the number released in 2022. Of these newly released models, 65.7% were open-source (meaning they can be freely used and modified by anyone), compared with only 44.4% in 2022 and 33.3% in 2021.

But At a Cost of Performance?

Closed-source models still outperform their open-sourced counterparts. On 10 selected benchmarks, closed models achieved a median performance advantage of 24.2%, with differences ranging from as little as 4.0% on mathematical tasks like GSM8K to as much as 317.7% on agentic tasks like AgentBench.

Biggest Players

Industry dominates AI, especially in building and releasing foundation models. This past year Google edged out other industry players in releasing the most models, including Gemini and RT-2. In fact, since 2019, Google has led in releasing the most foundation models, with a total of 40, followed by OpenAI with 20. Academia trails industry: This past year, UC Berkeley released three models and Stanford two.

Industry Dwarfs All

If you needed more striking evidence that corporate AI is the only player in the room right now, this should do it. In 2023, industry accounted for 72% of all new foundation models.

Prices Skyrocket

One of the reasons academia and government have been edged out of the AI race: the exponential increase in cost of training these giant models. Google’s Gemini Ultra cost an estimated $191 million worth of compute to train, while OpenAI’s GPT-4 cost an estimated $78 million. In comparison, in 2017, the original Transformer model, which introduced the architecture that underpins virtually every modern LLM, cost around $900.

What AI Race?

At least in terms of notable machine learning models, the United States vastly outpaced other countries in 2023, developing a total of 61 models in 2023. Since 2019, the U.S. has consistently led in originating the majority of notable models, followed by China and the UK.

Move Over, Human

As of 2023, AI has hit human-level performance on many significant AI benchmarks, from those testing reading comprehension to visual reasoning. Still, it falls just short on some benchmarks like competition-level math. Because AI has been blasting past so many standard benchmarks, AI scholars have had to create new and more difficult challenges. This year’s index also tracked several of these new benchmarks, including those for tasks in coding, advanced reasoning, and agentic behavior.

Private Investment Drops (But We See You, GenAI)

While AI private investment has steadily dropped since 2021, generative AI is gaining steam. In 2023, the sector attracted $25.2 billion, nearly ninefold the investment of 2022 and about 30 times the amount from 2019 (call it the ChatGPT effect). Generative AI accounted for over a quarter of all AI-related private investments in 2023.

U.S. Wins $$ Race

And again, in 2023 the United States dominates in AI private investment. In 2023, the $67.2 billion invested in the U.S. was roughly 8.7 times greater than the amount invested in the next highest country, China, and 17.8 times the amount invested in the United Kingdom. That lineup looks the same when zooming out: Cumulatively since 2013, the United States leads investments at $335.2 billion, followed by China with $103.7 billion, and the United Kingdom at $22.3 billion.

Where is Corporate Adoption?

More companies are implementing AI in some part of their business: In surveys, 55% of organizations said they were using AI in 2023, up from 50% in 2022 and 20% in 2017. Businesses report using AI to automate contact centers, personalize content, and acquire new customers. 

Younger and Wealthier People Worry About Jobs

Globally, most people expect AI to change their jobs, and more than a third expect AI to replace them. Younger generations — Gen Z and millennials — anticipate more substantial effects from AI compared with older generations like Gen X and baby boomers. Specifically, 66% of Gen Z compared with 46% of boomer respondents believe AI will significantly affect their current jobs. Meanwhile, individuals with higher incomes, more education, and decision-making roles foresee AI having a great impact on their employment.

While the Commonwealth Worries About AI Products

When asked in a survey about whether AI products and services make you nervous, 69% of Aussies and 65% of Brits said yes. Japan is the least worried about their AI products at 23%.  

Regulation Rallies

More American regulatory agencies are passing regulations to protect citizens and govern the use of AI tools and data. For example, the Copyright Office and the Library of Congress passed copyright registration guidance concerning works that contained material generated by AI, while the Securities and Exchange Commission developed a cybersecurity risk management strategy, governance, and incident disclosure plan. The agencies to pass the most regulation were the Executive Office of the President and the Commerce Department. 

The AI Index was first created to track AI development. The index collaborates with such organizations as LinkedIn, Quid, McKinsey, Studyportals, the Schwartz Reisman Institute, and the International Federation of Robotics to gather the most current research and feature important insights on the AI ecosystem. 

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NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

David Folkenflik

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

• Katherine Maher
• uri berliner