The Dictatorship of Pride

Who came to mind when you saw the title of this article? Well—sorry to disappoint you—I was actually thinking about you and me.

The phrase comes from C.S. Lewis in his classic Mere Christianity. In the chapter called “The Essential Vice,” he makes the case that pride is not just another sin—it’s the root of them all. As he put it: “According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride.”[1]

Lewis explains why. Pride is competitive by nature. It doesn’t just want to succeed—it wants to win, to be above the rest…to rule. That’s why it divides us from one another and from God. It’s the hidden tyranny within the soul—what Lewis called the dictatorship of pride—and we all struggle with it.

More Pride = More Faith?

OK, so let’s leave any particular leader out of the equation. But here’s my question: what happens when large parts of the church seem to embrace leaders who embody the essential vice in the hope of making the country more Christian? Doesn’t something seem off about that logic?

Christians shouldn’t give their allegiance to any kind of dictatorship—much less one of pride. Yet far too often, we’ve done just that. We’ve rallied behind leaders who “exalt themselves” (Luke 14:11). We mistake arrogance for spiritual strength, excusing it as fighting for “the truth.” But does the right end really justify the wrong means?

A Different Gospel

The truth is, leaders on both sides of the aisle are building their own versions of a dictatorship of pride. And if I’m honest, so am I. That’s why we need to continually realign ourselves with Jesus—not with a political party or agenda. Our faith stands outside those loyalties. When we mix the two, it becomes what the apostle Paul warned against: “a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6–7).

The most troubling thing about our situation today is not that “they” are marching in lockstep to the dictatorship of pride. It’s that we all are. And the only antidote is to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus—the One who “humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

Action Steps

1. Read (or reread) Mere Christianity. Start with the chapter “The Essential Vice.” It may be the most important reflection on human nature written in the last century.

2. Take an honest look inside. Where is pride ruling you like a dictator? How might humility set you free?

[1] C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: HarperOne, 2001), Book III, Chapter 8, “The Great Sin,” p. 121.

Photo by Joe Shields on Unsplash