Steven Willing > Quotes

“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king,” contended Erasmus. As the founder of modern humanism, Erasmus was hopelessly optimistic. More likely than not, in the land of the blind, a one-eyed man would be burned as a witch.”
― Steven Willing, Superbia: The Perils of Pride. The Power of Humility

“Western society, pride is more likely to be exalted as a virtue than condemned as vice. But what is it? Just a word, for starters, and words change meaning with time. What did they mean by “pride”? Everything hangs on its definition. That definition is the subject of this book. Because of pride, the image and effectiveness of the Church have been compromised. One direct consequence is conflict: within families, congregations, and communities. Another is that the witness of the Church is tarnished in the eyes of the world. Rather than being known by our love for one another,[2] we are known for our self-righteousness, judgmentalism, dogmatism, and, in certain quarters, fierce anti-intellectualism. God has, and always will resist the proud. To question whether God would resist the Church herself is to miss the point entirely. He will especially resist pride among His followers, for we are the ones to whom much has been given – and forgiven. We, of all people, should know better.”
― Steven Willing, Superbia: The Perils of Pride. The Power of Humility

“Among pride’s great deceptions, perhaps most dangerous of all is the conceit that the world’s fate rests in our hands.”
― Steven Willing, Superbia: The Perils of Pride. The Power of Humility

“All natural human thought, discourse, and behavior are corrupted by pride, and pride is a state of opposition to God. It is the root of most conflict. When society descends into tribalism and mutual animosity, there is pride. Where churches are divided, there is pride. When families are estranged, there is pride. Where there is vigorous embrace of falsehood, there is pride.”
― Steven Willing, Superbia: The Perils of Pride. The Power of Humility