I don't know many people who live free of pride's gnawing longing to be seen and heard.  Nebuchadnezzar showed himself to be very human when he exalted himself as recorded in the book of Daniel.  An old John Piper sermon that I recently came across had some potent, applicable words for my life.  They're worth savoring here.

"So I think we've got here [in the words of Nebuchadnezzar] the essence of pride: the enjoyment of self-sufficiency rather than God-sufficiency and the enjoyment of self-exaltation rather than God-exaltation.

"Now don't make the mistake of saying to yourself right now, 'Well pride is surely not my problem, because I'm a loser. I don't feel self-sufficient at all. And I don't expect anybody to exalt me because I am so ugly or unintelligent or weak. So pride is not my problem.'

"Be very careful here and now. Don't let Satan trick you. I did not say that pride was the achievement of self-sufficiency or the achievement of self-exaltation. I said that pride is the enjoyment of them, the delight in them, the desire for them. You may see your life as a total failure and feel crushed by this morning and still have pride as the driving force of your life. The very pain you feel at being a failure may be owing to the desperateness of your desire to look successful and to taste the glory of human praise.

"One person may go to a party and brag and boast and draw attention to himself and his achievements. Another person may go to the same party and be so fearful and insecure that he hides in corners and tries to avoid people. And both of these persons may be driven by the unbelief pride. The strong person doesn't believe the grace of God is needed; the weak person doesn't believe the grace of God is sufficient. And since God is not their portion, man is—the longed-for esteem and praise of man. One person, fearful that he won't get it, hides. Another person, hopeful that he will get it, brags. Same disease, different symptoms. And all of us have it."  ("Believing God on Election Day" Daniel 4:28-37; Nov 6, 1988).

HT: www.soundofgrace.com