Chapter 16
Pride, Power, and the Path Forward

This chapter reveals a devastating pattern: the more successful we become, the more blind we grow to our own weaknesses. Solomon calls it pride before the fall, but it's really about how achievement creates dangerous blind spots. When things go well, we stop questioning ourselves. We assume our judgment is sound because our results have been good. This confidence becomes arrogance, and arrogance stops us from seeing what's actually happening around us. The mechanism works like this: success breeds confidence, confidence reduces self-questioning, and reduced self-questioning creates blind spots. We stop listening to feedback because we think we know better. We dismiss warnings because they threaten our self-image. We make bigger bets because smaller ones worked out. The very traits that helped us succeed—decisiveness, confidence, risk-taking—become liabilities when they're no longer balanced by humility and self-awareness. This pattern shows up everywhere today. The nurse who's been on the floor for twenty years stops double-checking medications because she 'knows what she's doing.' The supervisor who got promoted for being decisive starts making decisions without consulting his team. The parent whose first child turned out well assumes they know exactly how to raise the second one. The small business owner who survived the pandemic thinks they're recession-proof. Each success makes the next mistake more likely. When you recognize this pattern in yourself or others, pump the brakes. Success should increase your caution, not decrease it. Ask more questions when things are going well, not fewer. Seek feedback especially when you feel confident. Solomon suggests that self-control—the ability to restrain yourself when you feel powerful—is the ultimate strength. Create systems that force you to pause before big decisions. Surround yourself with people who will tell you uncomfortable truths. When you can name the pattern, predict where it leads, and navigate it successfully—that's amplified intelligence. You're not just avoiding the pride trap; you're using wisdom that's guided successful people for three thousand years.