The prideful brother assumes that his perspective is the always the right one, that he has little or nothing to learn from others, and much to teach them. The prideful brother will, sooner or later, enter into conflict with his brethren, with his abbot, and with God. Pride always breeds conflict. If it is not open conflict, it is an invisible cold war waged under the appearances of righteousness. The abbot can most effectively treat the brother sick with pride by helping him to believe in the love of God. The prideful brother thinks that before God can love him, he must be perfect; then he goes on to believe that because he is perfect, God loves him.
In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)
