Although a yes or no answer could be a response to the question, it would be a meaningless one without first defining what one should be proud of. We could agree that honoring and obeying all of the Ten Commandments could be the measurement to determine if a person is worthy of thinking of themselves as a proud human being. But not trespassing on any of the Ten Commandments might be considered perfection by some humans. So maybe the “bar of perfection” needs to lowered a bit, while weighing a person’s worthiness to be a proud human.
We could consider that claiming not trespassing on any of the commandments more often then once a month would be worthy enough to be proud of yourself. But we all know that would not fly, as I believe most humans would agree that one murder in a life time is abominable, let alone twelve a year. So should murder be in a separate category from all the other commandments? Are we automatically worthy of being a proud human if we never murder anyone? Of course, there is self defense, and then there is the murder of war. But what about the “soft kill” murder, indirectly or directly, like the humans responsible for making the food we eat harmful to us over time, or slowly contaminating our water or air. What about those aiding in the supplying of weapons to our enemies or terrorists? What about the people who sit down to a full meal and a warm house, with plenty in their larder for the next ten years, and yet do nothing to assist others who are hungry and cold in the very town that they themselves live in? A human might proudly say they never killed another without considering how they may have indirectly aided in the killing of many others.
A human can be proud that they have managed their lives to the point of securing a warm house in a relatively safe neighborhood, healthy food, access to all the medical care they might need, a fine library and education, and the capturing of opportunities to seek and explore their passions in life, be it the arts or sciences. Surely doing all this without consciously hurting, or using another human being, does appear that such a person is worthy of being proud of themselves. Yet, many would say only if all this was achieved without stepping on another’s assets or opportunities. How much does a human respect the work, property, and privacy of another while he or she goes about providing for their own life; or, do they just walk all over another: once an hour, once a day, once a week, once a month, or once a year? Does it make much of a difference of how often you do these things in measuring your worthiness for claiming how proud you are of yourself as a living human being?
Bullies exist in all forms: from the playground bullies, to the corporate bullies, the religious bullies, to the academic bullies, and then, of course, we have the unlimited forms of extreme bullying such as: the mafia, the terrorists, or just the humans who make the plain choice to be a Brutus to another. How much of a bully are you choosing to be by walking out on a relative or friend who relies on you emotionally when they are down on their luck, or physically vulnerable, like a person fighting cancer? Would you consider yourself an emotional bully for walking out on someone so deeply emotionally and physically vulnerable while fighting for their life? Do humans normally face the truth of their actions of emotional bullying can be as murderous as a Brutus physically plunging a knife in to another?
So how are proud of being a human are you by your chosen actions over the past year? We all rationalize our actions. How have you rationalized yours?
