PRIDE and HUMILITY A New Interdisciplinary Analysis SHAWN R. TUCKER Pride and Humility Shawn   R.   Tucker Pride and Humility A New Interdisciplinary Analysis Shawn   R.   Tucker Elon University Elon, North Carolina, USA ISBN 978-1-137-59919-3 ISBN 978-1-137-59920-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-59920-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016942086 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2 016 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the pub- lisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: © Pick and Mix Images / Alamy Stock Photo Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Nature America Inc. New York For my loved ones A CKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to VAGA and Art Resource for permission to use the three images in this book. Thank you as well to the support staff at Palgrave for providing so much assistance in this project. To Elon University, I express my deep gratitude for fi nancial support, a sabbatical to gather my ideas, and for the chance to teach my seminar on pride, humility, and the good life. I cannot imagine a better place to work and teach than Elon University! A special thank you to the National Endowment for the Humanities. Your Enduring Questions grant to develop and teach my course on pride, humility, and the good life provided such a wonderful foundation for this entire project. And fi nally, thank you to the many, many Elon students who participated in my seminar. Your willingness to engage this challeng- ing material with such vigor was a marvelous inspiration. vii C ONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 Cautionary Tales 23 3 Pride and Humility 5 9 4 Varieties of Humility 8 9 5 Being Humbled 119 6 Humiliation, Humility, and Humor 1 47 7 Conclusion: Achilles and Celie 1 71 Index 209 ix