Not Like The Others by St. John Vianney (Abridged Version)

“I am not like the others!” That, my dear brethren, is the usual tone of false virtue and the attitude of those proud people who are always quite satisfied with themselves, and are at all times ready to censure and criticize the conduct of others. They regard themselves as far superiors to their equals, and their detestable pride urges them to believe that they are indeed worth a great deal more than others. From this I conclude that pride is the source of all vices and the cause of all evils which have occurred, and which are still to come, in the course of Centuries. We carry our blindness so far that often we glorify ourselves on account of things which really ought to cover us with confusion. We could say that this sin accompanies man in what he does or says. Everyone rushes to solicit the praises of the rest of the world, and strives to draw them to himself. In this way are the lives of the great majority of people passed. The door of by which pride enters with greatest ease and strength is the door of wealth. Just as soon as someone improves his possessions and his source of wealth, you will observe him change his mode of life. Observe a person of some standing scrutinising the work of someone else. He will find a hundred faults with it and will say: “Ah, what can you expect? He does not know any better!” Take a young woman who has a shapely figure or who, at any rate, thinks she has. You will see her walking along, picking her steps, full of affectation, with pride which seem to reach the clouds! If she has plenty of clothes, she will leave her wardrobe open so that they can be seen. No, my dear brethren, there is nothing that is quite  ridiculous or stupid as to be ever talking about what we have and what we do. And I will add this to what I have just said. This sin is even more to be feared in people who put on a good show of piety and religion.

St. John Vianney, Ora Pro Nobis.