The first kind of pride is when a man despises his brother, considers him woth little or nothing, while he puts a much greater value in himself. Such a man, unless he speedily repents and takes great care, will come in a short time to that second kind of pride by which he lifts himself up against God and ascribes what he does right not to God, but to himself. Really, brothers, I knew a man who came to this miserable state. From the beginning, if one of his brethren said anything to him, he used to say, ‘Who the devil is he? He is not Zosimos or one of his lot.’ Then he began to cheapen them and to say, ‘There is no one of any importance than Macarios’ and after a little while, to say, ‘Who is Macarios, anyway? There is no one good, except perhaps Basil or Gregory.’ And then in a short while he began to debunk them, saying, ‘Who is Basil? Who is Gregory? There is no one who counts but Peter and Paul.’ And I say to him, ‘Really, brother, you are going to despise these soon.’ And believe me, after a short time he began saying, ‘Who is Paul? Who is Peter? There is no one but the Holy Trinity!’ And so at last he lifted himself up against God — and there he gave up!
-Dorotheos of Gaaza. Discourses & Sayings. trans. Eric P. Wheeler (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1977), 96 – 7.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In