How we cite our quotes: (Book.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #10
There is temptation in the very process of self-reproach, for often, by priding himself on his contempt for vainglory, a man is guilty of even emptier pride; and for this reason his contempt of vainglory is an empty boast, because he cannot really hold it in contempt as long as he prides himself on doing so. (X.38.1)
So say you know that pride is a sin. You try not to be guilty of it, right? But then you get all proud of yourself for not being guilty of pride. What a Catch-22. Augustine says that this pride of not being proud is even worse than outright pride, because it's directly contradicting what you intended. Pride is a tricky business, and true humility is not as easy as it sounds.