The Fine Line Between Pride and Self-Respect
Question
There seems to be a very fine, almost invisible line between pride (abhimaan) and self-respect (swabhimaan). It often becomes confusing to tell one from the other.
Answer
Yes, absolutely — that confusion happens often.
Swabhimaan literally means “respect for the Self.” But the word “swa” — “self” — has two different meanings, and that’s where the subtlety lies.
The first meaning of swa refers to our true Self, our real nature — pure consciousness, without ego.
When we are established in that awareness — when we know who we truly are — that is also called swa.
The second meaning of swa is the body-identified self, the sense of “I” that is tied to ego and identity.
So, swa can mean the real self (spiritual awareness) or the false self (egoic identity) — and the meaning of swabhimaan changes accordingly.
For example, we often use two related words in our rituals — Swaha and Swadha.
When we say Swaha, it means “I offer up or let go of my ego.”
And Swadha means “I accept and hold my true Self — the consciousness that I truly am.”
So swa can either mean the ego that we surrender, or the true Self that we embrace.
That’s why swabhimaan can exist in two ways:
Sometimes it is good — based on awareness and truth.
Sometimes it is distorted — based on pride and ego.
Let’s take a simple example.
Suppose someone is protecting the national flag, and another person is disrespecting it by stepping on it. The one who says, “Don’t do that — that’s an insult to our country,” is acting from swabhimaan in the right sense.
His self-respect is based on values, on love for what is sacred — not on ego.
So, swabhimaan is not always negative.
When it arises from purity and higher understanding, it is noble.
When it arises from ego and darkness, it becomes abhimaan — pride.
Question
So that means swabhimaan is also influenced by sattva, rajas, and tamas — the three gunas?
Answer
Exactly. All these qualities — our mind, our intellect, our higher and lower states — are constantly influenced by the three gunas.
At any moment, one of them rises above the others. Sometimes sattva (clarity and truth) becomes dominant, sometimes rajas (activity and restlessness), and sometimes tamas (darkness or ignorance).
If you observe yourself carefully, you’ll notice this change happening many times in a single day — even within a few minutes.
One moment you may feel peaceful and wise (sattva), and a few minutes later you may feel anger or pride (tamas or rajas).
When sattva is dominant, swabhimaan appears in its pure form — true self-respect.
When tamas takes over, that same swabhimaan turns into ego and arrogance.
So swabhimaan is a beautiful word — it can express both the highest self-awareness and the lowest ego, depending on which quality of nature is active within us.