One man pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. Proverbs 13:7

Both of those statements intrigue me, though I generally fit into the first half of the verse. Growing up I pretended I fit in with a socioeconomic class that was above me. I saw those “below” me and didn’t want anything to do with it. I suppose a bit of that carried over into my adult life.

But for what purpose? Any number of feeble reasons, though only one stands out: to fit in with the crowd I associated with mainly. Other than that I can’t think of anything more logical.

It turns out it was – and still is – pride. Pride comes at us in various forms and quickly leads to arrogance. In my example, I had pretended to be something other than what I was. I’m still learning that lesson.