Pride

Filed under Complex & secondary emotions · List of Human Emotions editorial team

Pride is a self-conscious emotion that emerges when a person achieves something meaningful and recognizes that achievement as personally valuable or socially valued by others. Unlike emotions triggered automatically by external events, pride requires reflection on one's own actions and their outcomes, making it distinctly tied to the self. The emotion appears across cultures and is accompanied by a recognizable physical display: an expanded posture, an elevated head position, and raised or positioned arms, such as hands on the hips.

Psychological research distinguishes between two forms of pride. Authentic pride stems from genuine effort, skill development, and real accomplishment; it correlates with sustained motivation, healthy confidence, and social well-being. Hubristic pride, by contrast, arises from an inflated or unwarranted sense of superiority and is linked to arrogance, reduced empathy, and relationship strain. The distinction matters because the same emotional state can either reinforce positive behavior and social connection or undermine them, depending on its source and expression.

In moderate levels, pride serves important functions. It reinforces the effort that led to achievement, strengthens a sense of belonging within communities that value the accomplishment, and motivates continued engagement. When pride becomes excessive or ungrounded, however, it can erode relationships and create friction with others. The emotion's impact depends on both its authenticity—whether rooted in genuine accomplishment—and the context in which it is expressed.

Sources: American Psychological Association — APA Dictionary: emotion; Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley — Emotions. Educational information only — not medical or psychological advice. See our sources & fact-check policy.

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