Hubris

For the record, Hubris is the greek word for the concept of over-reaching you station in life. Typically it is used with regard to the mortal heroes of hellenic literature who decide that they have risen to the level of gods and neglected the duties and laws of mortal life. The gods are quick to remind you that you are human... or perhaps it is simply fait acompli that people who believe they are gods will walk straight into trouble? In any case, that word is being thrown around a lot this past week with the inauguration going on and I figured it'd be good to define it acurately. Hubris is decidedly different that simple arrogance. Hubris is the embodiment of the phrase: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. When it does, that is the source of hubris.

The orginal Greek word means excessive pride or wanton violence. American Heritage defines it as overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. I suppose what I'm hearing with regard to that word is the idea that a great undertaking is attributed to hubris. This is not necessarily the case. Hubris is often the underlying force behind great undertakings like the Tower of Babel or Icarus's first flight, but the two are not linked conclusively. The gothic cathedrals of France would seem a great undertaking like the Tower of Babel, but the Tower of Babel was built for the glory of the builders to rival that of heaven and so it was built on hubris and struck down by the higher powers. Icarus did not take that first flight alone. His father Daedelus also took wing with him to escape the labyrinth. Icarus became famous for deciding that a winged escape wasn't good enough for him and over-reaching the limits of his wings by trying to touch the sun. His father flew successfully to safety and lived on to bury his arrogant son.

So what's the difference? It's intention of course. To seek great things for your own glory and to deny the powers that grant you leave to do great things is hubris and punishable by divine retribution. To seek great things as a servant of a higher power is not hubris it is the exact state of mind that sits in opposition to hubris. It is the ideal mindset for the hero. He quests for the good of the world not for his own glory.