Pride goes before a fall

Posted by R. Berg on July 03, 2004

In Reply to: Pride goes before a fall posted by ESC (U.S.) on July 02, 2004

: : Can anyone please give definition of this saying for my 6 yr old son's homework.

: Here's what I found. But I don't know how to explain it to a six-year-old. Maybe some of the others here can help with that.

: PRIDE GOES BEFORE A FALL - "If you allow yourself to become full of pride, you will find yourself humiliated. Be modest. The proverb comes from the Old Testament." From Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

: Proverbs 16:18
: Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (King James Version)

: Herman Melville "rendered essentially the modern version in 'The Piazza Tales' ." From Wise Words and Wives' Tales: The Origins, Meanings and Time-Honored Wisdom of Proverbs and Folk Sayings Olde and New; by Stuart Flexner and Doris Flexner (Avon Books, New York, 1993).

A six-year-old should be able to understand the idea that when you get to thinking you can do everything you want to or you're better than other people, you'd better watch out, because you're going to start making mistakes and something bad will happen. Just translate this explanation into whatever vocabulary you normally use with your child.