I’ve really enjoyed Oreshura – while it’s characters and situations are retreads of retreads, there’s something fun and refreshing about the show, even when it repeats itself, like it did in episode six. Eita, for a second straight week, puts his pride in the backseat and endures physical pain and embarrassment to defend a “young maiden.” Whenever I watch embarrassing scenes like that, even enjoyable ones, I look away from the screen – it hurts me to see someone else get their pride hurt.
But Eita seems to think nothing of losing his pride in confrontations. I’m the type to be easily embarrassed, so for me it’s a little harder. Truth be told, I’m just incredibly prideful, so putting aside my pride is hard in general, even if it’s not a public situation. It’s even difficult for me to admit that I’m wrong to my wife (Note: In fact, I just had this issue as I was writing this post). And I sometimes find it difficult to admit to my children that I’ve wronged them as well.
The pride I’m speaking of has to do with a conceit we have because we’re in a certain situation. When we forget our pride, we bow our heads (symbolically or literally) and wipe that concede away momentarily. But that pride is certainly connected to the pride we usually speak of on this blog – the feeling that we know better than anyone else – friends, family, or God.
The choice to wipe away this selfish attitude is almost always a good one. Setting it aside can build bridges, repair bonds, right wrongs, and as Oreshura demonstrates, can even empower others. In the end, forgetting our pride is a choice of love: it’s choosing to sacrifice ourselves and love others.
And loving others above ourselves is usually the right decision – even if it hurts.
