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Interview With Jeff Goins

January 30, 2012 in Books, Creativity, Interview, Writing with 6 Comments

This past September at the STORY Conference in Chicago, I got the privilege to meet and hang out with Jeff Goins. He works for Adventures In Missions and writes a very popular blog on all things writing (one of the top 10 blogs for writers in 2011). We were hanging out with a bunch of guys at a pub late one night and after hearing that I had a nasty sore throat, he suggested that I get a Hot Toddy (to which I said, “What’s a Hot Toddy?”). The second I tasted the peppermint-chocolate goodness, I knew I liked this guy. I’ve since learned boatloads about writing and influence from him.

In an effort to spread his wisdom I asked him to do an interview for my blog. So please do enjoy and learn a thing or two. And if you are a writer of anything, please pick up the 2 eBooks he just released (Every Writers Dream and Before Your First Book). They are incredible and helpful, I promise.

Jeff, anyone in the writing blogosphere knows that your blog has absolutely blown up in under a year’s time, which is quite astounding. How did you do it?

Good question. Short answer: I don’t know. I’ll tell you how I didn’t do it. I didn’t do it by planning for it. I didn’t set goals; I didn’t try to make something happen. Nor did I do it by comparing myself to some mega-blogger that I held on a pedestal (and there are a few of those for me).

What I did do was I took my writing more seriously than I ever have before. I wrote my heart out. I listened to conventional wisdom. I broke a few rules (on purpose). I stole from what I saw “experts” doing and made it my own. Mostly, I just wrote. I didn’t grow as quickly as some (there’s always someone better), but I’m pretty happy with the past year. It’s been surprising and fun.

What are the most important things you have learned along the way?

Plans don’t work. For years I “planned” to write a book or become an author. It didn’t happen.

What did work was creating new habits — doing the dirty work of getting up every day and writing. Even when I was tired and unmotivated and even uninspired.

If you really want to do something, you have to make it habitual. And the only way to do that is to make room in your life for something new. It won’t be easy. There will be a cost, and you may have to sacrifice important things. So it had better be worth it.

What are your two new eBooks about?

They’re about publishing.

Every Writers Dream is the barebones guide for how you create a platform that will attract publishers so that you never have to pitch your work again. Anyone who does any kind of freelance writing — anyone who’s ever written a query letter or book proposal — knows the pain of pitching (and rejection that often comes with it). This book will help you build an asset that attracts attention. It’s basically what I accidentally did this past year.

Before Your First Book is an add-on to EWD. It’s a more practical guide to getting your writing noticed now (including some sample pitches I’ve written), so that you can create a portfolio that leads to your not having to pitch anymore.

In other words, EWD is more theory, and BFB is more practice. Both are some of the most important pieces I’ve written so far on the craft of writing.

Let’s chat about self-promotion…everyone knows that artists and writers have to self-promote and really put themselves out there if they ever want anyone to read their work. But many people in our generation are very weary of self-promotion and balk at the term “platform” because it can reek of pomp and pride. Many artists find themselves in a conundrum of wanting to share their art but not wanting to be “that guy”. So how can we be intentional about sharing our work (and therefore building a following) without being sleazy?

Well, first of all, don’t create crap. This should be a given, but it’s not. A lot of people are creating mediocre work and trying to pass it off as excellent. Start by creating something you can be proud of.

Then, build meaningful relationships where you help people. Serve your way into influence. Don’t make cold calls or asks. Earn the right to be heard. Make friends, real friends.

Then, demonstrate your competency. Send the occasional email; bring your portfolio to a coffee meeting. Don’t be afraid to share your work with someone. There’s nothing wrong with emailing a friend a blog post or sharing an article with someone whom you think it will help.

The trick is permission. You become “that guy” when you make asks without permission. Oh, and if you build a platform (a blog, podcast, speaking career, whatever) that attracts an audience, you avoid a lot of the awkwardness of asking. It can be difficult, and you have to earn your dues, but it’s possible.

You have a book coming out later this year…can you tell us what it’s about and when we can get it?

It’s called Wrecked: When a Painful World Slams into Your Comfortable Life. In short, it’s about how we find our life’s purpose in midst of the world’s pain and suffering. Things like HIV and world hunger and homelessness can, in fact, be avoided, but those who are making a difference refuse to look the other way. The book describes my own experiences as a missionary and how that’s shaped my worldview — as well as lots of interesting stories from other people. It’ll be available “wherever books are sold” (I’ve always wanted to use that phrase) in the fall.

You are currently one of the most prolific writers I know of, pumping out blogs, guest posts, and eBooks like it’s your full-time job (which I know it’s not–yet, at least). How do you produce so much great content? Do you ever get tired or do you just buy truckloads of Five Hour Energy?

Yes.

Okay, not really. Just coffee.

Thanks, I suppose. I think what I do is try to never work from scratch. I’m terrified of the blank page. So I am always capturing ideas with little notes that I write to myself. Then why I want to write an article or eBook or whatever, I have something to start with. That’s how I blog, write articles, etc. I am always repurposing things (including emails, phone conversations, etc.). I try to never waste a single creative thought. It’s paying off well, because when I started writing my book, I found I had about half of it already written on my computer (albeit, in a pretty rough form).

Here is a quote from Before Your First Book: “Remember: This is about forming relationships as much as it is about creating content.” That seems really important. Can you expound a bit more on that?

You’ve heard this before. You’ve wondered if it was true, even suspected it. I can confirm it as fact for you. It’s true: It’s not just what you know, but who you know, that matters.

For writers, this means you can’t just be a good writer. You have to do the hard work of building intentional relationships. You have to earn the right to be heard. This doesn’t mean you can terrible at the craft; it just means that content is not enough. You need people. Like I said, you already know this. Time to act on it.

What do you dream of doing long-term with your writing?

Is it disingenuous to say that I am doing it? I’m writing, and my words are changing people. I’m even earning some money and having a blast as I do it. What more could I ask for?

Of course, I’d like to write many more books — memoirs and novels and all kinds of new endeavors. I’d also like to speak more on the topics I write (I’m doing some gigs this year, which I’m excited about). And a super-big pipe dream would be to have a short story featured on NPR’s This American Life. I love that show. So yeah, those are some dreams. But if all I ever do is keep doing what I’m doing, I would be pretty content. Fortunately, though, I think the best is yet to come.

You once told me that if I came to Nashville, you’d buy me a Hot Toddy…is that deal still on?:)

Deal.

Thanks to Jeff for stopping by. If you write anything (and I mean anything), and you are not following him on Twitter or his blog, you are wrong. So fix that. And don’t forget to pick up his two new eBooks while you’re at it.

Great Review Of My Book

January 20, 2012 in Books, Every Bush Is Burning with 2 Comments

A while back, Cindi Rose from the San Fransisco Christian Fiction Examiner posted this great review of Every Bush Is Burning, and I liked it so much I asked for her permission to re-post some of the review here. I really appreciate Cindi taking the time to review the book, and the more traffic and shares she gets the better for her, so if you like the review please click the link to the actual review and share it through Facebook, Twitter, or StumbleUpon.

Every Bush Is Burning by Brandon Clements is one of those books you start reading and think to yourself, “I really don’t like this guy,” (the main character) but you keep reading because you somehow understand exactly what he’s talking about.  And what Jack Bennett is talking about is his life; his work, his failing marriage, and his disgust with ‘Christianity.’

Jack is a thirty-something reporter who writes op-ed pieces.  He has the perfect life; house in the suburbs, beautiful and adoring wife, twin boys who are two years old… and a mistress.  But after he writes an article on how most of America’s Christians go to church on Sunday and look down their noses at the less-fortunate the rest of the week, his entire world changes.

He meets a homeless man named Yeshua, who tells him to confess his affair to his wife and do whatever it takes to win her back.  As Jack and Yeshua spend time together, Jack becomes more and more convinced that this man really is the Jesus of the Bible.

Jack shares the stories of his childhood; an absent father, a loving and hard-working mother, and the responisibility he feels about the sexual abuse his younger sister endured at the hands of an uncle.  The reader begins to believe that this is some supernatural relationship, just like Jack does. It’s not until the very end that the reader discovers why Jack is sharing his story with a complete stranger and realizes what the relationship between Yeshua and Jack truly is.

This is an enjoyable story, even though what the author is saying about the 21st-century American church is often painful to read.  But it’s painful in the way removing an infected sliver from a finger is painful.  It must be done if the infection is to be stopped so the finger can heal.  Although some may have trouble with a Jesus who drinks beer and listens to Nine-Inch Nails (this reader wasn’t particularly pleased with it), being able to move past these minor details is essential, especially in light of how the story concludes.  A look at the bigger picture is needed.

Each individual reader may recognize themselves in different passages of Every Bush Is Burning, but in order to make a real differnce in the lives of those we interact with every day, we need to do more than recognize our failings.  We must admit them and be willing to do the hard work that comes with being a Christian in a fallen world.

This is Brandon Clements’ debut novel, but hopefully it won’t be his last.

(Funny clarification: Yeshua didn’t actually listen to Nine Inch Nails in the book. I got a good laugh out of that.)

Thanks to Cindi for the encouragement and for posting this great review!

The Ax For The Frozen Sea

January 6, 2012 in Books, Quotable, Writing with 2 Comments

“Altogether, I think we ought to read only books that bite and sting us. If the book we are reading doesn’t shake us awake like a blow to the skull, why bother reading it in the first place? So that it can make us happy, as you put it? Good God, we’d be just as happy if we had no books at all; books that make us happy we could, in a pinch, also write ourselves. What we need are books that hit us like a most painful misfortune, like the death of someone we loved more than we love ourselves, that make us feel as though we had been banished to the woods, far from any human presence, like suicide. A book must be the ax for the frozen sea within us. That is what I believe.”

 
—Franz Kafka, from a letter to Oskar Pollak dated January 27, 1904.

I can’t stop thinking about this quote.

What are books you’ve read that come to mind with this quote? Which ones have broken the frozen sea inside of you?

Why I Put Cursing In A Supposedly Christian Book

December 15, 2011 in Books, Creativity, Every Bush Is Burning with 17 Comments

I have already received a good number of emails from random readers of Every Bush Is Burning, and most of them have been incredible. It’s overwhelming to see the Holy Spirit using this story to speak to people in moving ways, and I am grateful beyond words for that.

I did get one email recently, however, from a person who was very unhappy with some of the language in the book. (For the record if you haven’t read it, there is some PG-13 language.) This person was, to quote, “perplexed and disturbed” that I as a pastor would allow cursing in a “supposedly Christian book.” The person said they were confused because if the book really was for non-Christians, then they would surely be perplexed as to why a pastor would allow cursing–and if it was for Christians, then they would be offended.

I was thankful for the person’s willingness to contact me and to be honest, I knew that this would come eventually. Seven years ago I probably would have said the same thing. So, because I assumed there would likely be others who had the same question but may not ask, I decided I would post some of my response to the email here on the blog to share where I’m coming from (it’s slightly modified for length & clarity). If you read it, I’d love for you to comment and let me know if you agree or disagree. (Genuinely, I want to know). Here goes:

 

First off, I just want to thank you for approaching me directly with your concerns. I appreciate that. I’ll try to keep this as succinct as possible.

The simplest answer to your question about the language is that I wanted the story to reflect real life and real people. I had a friend that read an early draft and one of the things he said was, “Jack is a non-Christian, a rough-around-the-edges kind of guy–it seems like he would almost definitely cuss. I think that would make his character ring more true.” Over time, I began to agree with him. I do think it adds an element to the characterization that makes it more authentic, and it would have been wrong for Jack to say “dang it” or “dad gum”. It just wouldn’t have been believable. I don’t know how many non-Christians you know, but in my experience, many of them do use rough language (as well as a lot of Christians I know). In other words, real people are messy. Very messy. I lead a Recovery ministry and if I’ve learned anything, I’ve learned that. When people are honest about their issues and struggles, it’s ugly. Even me, when I’m honest about the heart-level issues and broken motivations I struggle with. So I wanted the book to reflect that reality. Not to be too obscene or drastic (I made an intentional effort to keep everything PG-13), but to be real.

Because the book is primarily directed at non-Christians. They are who I’m most concerned about. I knew it would upset some Christians, and I’m a people pleaser so I don’t love offending people, but I felt it needed to be done. If I started making concessions for the Christian who is offended, then I think the book would have begun to lose a lot of it’s power and authenticity to the most important intended audience. Because if you try to write for everyone, you end up writing for no one.

You may disagree with me, but in regard to Christian art, here is what I think has happened: Christians have demanded clean, family-friendly books, movies, music, etc….stories and music and books that are not gritty or messy but clean, tidy and righteous. A lot of Christian art is kind of like a Thomas Kincade painting–very pretty and nice, but not realistic. Therefore, it’s entertaining and inspiring to some Christians because it’s exactly what they want. But for those outside the church, or even my generation? It can be off-putting. It doesn’t ring true because it doesn’t reflect reality. Most Christians I know close to my age do not read Christian fiction or watch Christian movies for that very reason. Some of this art is useful and serves a purpose in the church, but if you tried to use it as a missional tool to start conversations with culturally savvy non-believers? It would not be pretty. For many it would be seen as too tidy, unrealistic, and probably cheesy.

So, the bottom line is–my intended audience is those people. The ones who don’t want anything to do with church, who won’t hear a sermon, who think Christians are out of touch with reality. It truly is a missional novel that is intended to start conversations with those people, and I’ve already been able to have some really incredible conversations. So for Christians who are offended, I would ask for as much grace and understanding as possible, to really think about the possibility that our culture needs some gritty, messy, missionally Christian art that hopefully will resonate with people who are far from Jesus.

This is a secondary reason, but another thing is that I wanted to tear down any unnecessary barriers between people and Jesus. Growing up in the religious South, I felt like a lot of people thought that the essential message of Christianity was: behave. Stop cussing and drinking and then you’ll maybe be good enough for God to like you. Which is religion as described in the book–the direct opposite of the gospel, that the grace of Jesus meets us where we are–that we can’t clean ourselves up and earn salvation–but that it is freely offered to us in Jesus. And if we really get that, then our hearts will change to want to obey Him.

Let me know if you have any follow up questions or want to talk more…thanks again for your reply and I hope you are well!

 

So, that was my hope for putting some potentially offensive material in the book…to be a voice directly opposed to any messages they may have gotten to “Clean yourself up and then maybe we can talk about Jesus.” I’m not saying all “Christian” art should be gritty, I’m just arguing that there should be room for it. And I’m not trying to start some kind of “Cussing Is Cool” club or anything like that, but frankly, I think it’s crazy that our Christian culture has gotten to the point where a made up non-Christian character can’t say a cuss word in a story if it has a Christian message. Not only do we expect real non-Christians to adhere to our morality, we demand the same of fictional characters as well.

Okay, I’ve yapped enough for now. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Should a fictional non-Christian character be allowed to curse in a novel with Christian themes? Comment below and let me know. I think this is a conversation worth having.

(Also, if this post interests you, check out this great post from Mike Duran entitled “Let’s Stop Being So Easily Offended”).

Kindle Version Only 99 Cents!

November 29, 2011 in Books, Every Bush Is Burning, Writing with 0 Comments

Hey friends. In an effort to get the word out about my book as much as possible and make it as easy as possible to get, I’m reducing the Kindle price to 99 cents for a while. This is a great time to get it if you haven’t already, or you can gift it to a friend (there is a Kindle app for almost every computer or phone). A Christmas gift for less than a dollar is hard to beat after all!

Hope you are swell and that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving…

Release Party Goodness

October 20, 2011 in Books, Every Bush Is Burning, Writing with 3 Comments

So. Thursday was the official release of my book on Amazon, and thanks to several friends, the release party was incredible. So much fun. We had some great music, delicious coffee & desserts, a reverse book signing (where everyone signed my book), a couple of readings, and even a Garth Brooks sing-a-long! It was such a blast.

If you want to see more pictures, click here! (And while you’re there you can “Like” the FB page for me…)

After the party, I pretty much collapsed into a sleep coma for the weekend. And currently I’ve been at home for 2 days with strep throat, so I think my body must be trying to tell me something.

Anyways, it’s been amazing–so much fun to finally be at this part of the process where people can actually read it and we can talk about it. I’ve already had a couple of really cool conversations and I’m very excited for more.

Well, I’m gonna get back to resting for a while, and try my best not to drown in my own snot. You be good, okay?

And if you wanted to check it out but haven’t yet, you can find the book on Amazon here. $9.99 for the paperback and $2.99 for the Kindle version.

That’s all for now, friends. Peace and love.

Every Bush Is Burning: A Life Update on My Birthday

June 24, 2011 in Books, Every Bush Is Burning, Writing with 3 Comments

Friends and family, peeps and tweeps…I hope Friday finds you well. Today is my birthday and I am a whopping 26 years of age. Woo hoo! I have a fun trip to the DMV (to get my license renewed) and an allergy shot planned to celebrate. (Also dinner with my smoking hot wife so it’s not all bad:) I figured now would be as good a time as any to throw out a general life update.

Many of you know this already, but for the past few years I’ve been working on writing a book. I’ve long had a passion for writing, but this particular book started out in college as a narrative non-fiction, Don Miller-esque book about how Jesus is so often tragically misrepresented by the sins and failures of the American church, and it attempted to straighten some of that mess out (Bathing Jesus anyone?…). But then I realized a few things. 1. That I wasn’t as funny as Donald Miller. 2. That I didn’t have near as many cool stories. And 3. That the book in general was terrible. So that was fun and all, throwing a gazillion words in the trash.

Then about 2 years ago I got the crazy idea to do the book idea in fiction and make a novel out of it. I started brainstorming and wrote a lot more terrible crap and threw a bunch of it away. I kept writing and then one day last Spring started emailing a freelance editor named Andy Meisenheimer. I started working with him and he waded through the mire of early drafts and pointed me in the right direction and in general started shaping me as a writer (I’m embarrassed to think where this book would be without him). It’s been a year and a half of ideas and revisions and hard work, and I’m very happy to realize that the process, at least for this book, is coming to a close.

In October of this year I will be self-publishing the book. It’s titled Every Bush Is Burning, and it explores the aforementioned themes and more. It’s a story set in Columbia about a guy named Jack Bennett, and it may have a few familiar figures in it if you’ve been around Midtown a while. I’m really excited about getting it out into the world and seeing what happens, and praying that God will use it to speak to people.

For those of you who may wonder, the reasons I decided to self-publish are basically: 1. It’s too “Christian” to be in the secular market. 2. It’s a little too raw for the Christian market (not vulgar–just for authenticity since it’s in a way a missional novel). 3. So I can make the prices as low as possible and have more control over the process. 4. Because I have very talented friends who are helping tremendously with the process (from editing to cover design to website building to shooting the trailer for it).

If you are my friend and you love me and want to help in this process, there will be plenty of opportunities to do that (and I will let you know what they are at the right time). I will likely be doing a Kickstarter campaign to offset the costs of producing a book and self-publishing, and also to hopefully raise a little bit of money for marketing since all of that weight will be on me with self-publishing.

For all of my friends who have already helped in this process, I can’t thank you enough. I am in the middle of the last revision and I’m excited about where it’s going. And for those of you who have read previous drafts to give me feedback…first of all, thank you. And secondly, I think it’s gonna be a lot better (even those of you who read the later draft). So that’s good.

Thanks friends for listening to my little update. I will keep you posted if you want to grab a copy when it’s ready, or if you want to help in the process. I will need all the help I can get spreading the word.

Peace and love!

the good life

December 1, 2009 in Books, Family, Quotable with 0 Comments

“Americans grow up convinced that they have a right to happiness. Most of the Third World would never make this claim. To them, survival is success. But for us, the good life is an inalienable right, and we pursue it with gusto. Should anyone thwart that happiness, we are quick to scream injustice. All types of actions are justified on the basis of not being happy. We leave marriages, we drop out of classes, we resign from jobs, we change churches, we transfer to another group. Confort is increasingly a norm we feel we are owed even though we joke about ‘no pain, no gain.’ And so we buy–to make us feel good–the latest, most updated, most powerful that will surely satisfy us (for the moment). It is how we construct who we are…

It was in the Garden that God declared ‘It is not good for Adam to be alone.’ God’s evaluation of the good life is relationship together, ‘the Body of Christ,’ the church relating to her God.”

Julie A. Gorman, Community That Is Christian

peace like a river

February 7, 2009 in Books, Humility with 3 Comments

A few weeks ago I finished up a novel by Leif Enger called Peace Like a River.  Every time I think back on this story I just smile in awe.  It is probably the most well-written, remarkable piece of literature I think I have ever read.  The voice that Enger creates through the narrator is nothing short of astounding–literally a sheer joy to read.  I’m pondering a re-read as soon as Kristi finishes it.

It very well may be in the running for my favorite fiction book of all time right now.  And not necessarily because it is so meaningful or enlightening.  I can’t really figure out what it is.  Stirring, maybe?  The closest thing I can describe it as of yet is it’s like a punch in the stomach…in a good way somehow.  I do know one thing, though–this book is ridiculously humbling and challenging for me as an aspiring writer.  It felt like I had to stop and catch my breath after every other sentence because it was written so profoundly.  I can only shake my head and grin even now…

Buy it.  Read it.  Seriously.  Let me know what you think.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, listen to what John Piper had to say about it:

Not Heartwarming Christian Fiction

“Dripping sweat on the paperback’s pages, I speed-walked and read for one hour and twenty minutes holding this book in my hand so that I could finish it before my routine was over. That was two weeks ago. Since then I have been trying to figure out how to describe the way it has affected me. It’s mainly because of the Dad, Jeremiah Land.

I am talking about Leif Enger’s first novel, Peace Like a River. Abraham said I should read it. If my sons tell me to read a thing, I do—at least so far.

I fear saying something trite. I read one reviewer who said, “heartwarming.” Like a rifle bullet in the head, it’s heartwarming. The heart needs something bigger and deeper than warming. And this book helps.

The year is 1962. The narrator is Reuben Land, the son of Jeremiah. Here’s the story of his birth when he almost died—or maybe did die.

I was lying uncovered on a metal table across the room.

Dad lifted me gently. I was very clean from all that rubbing, and I was gray and beginning to cool. A little clay boy is what I was.

“Breathe,” Dad said.

I lay in his arms.

Dr. Nokes said, “Jeremiah, it has been twelve minutes.”

“Breathe!” The picture I see is of Dad, brown hair short and wild, giving this order as if he expected nothing but obedience.

Dr. Nokes approached him. “Jeremiah. There would be brain damage now. His lungs can’t fill.”

Dad leaned down, laid me back on the table, took off his jacket and wrapped me in it—a black canvas jacket with a quilted lining, I have it still. He left my face uncovered.

“Sometimes,” said Dr. Nokes, “there is something unworkable in one of the organs. A ventricle that won’t pump correctly. A liver that poisons the blood.” Dr. Nokes was a kindly and reasonable man. “Lungs that can’t expand to take in air. In these cases,” said Dr. Nokes, “we must trust in the Almighty to do what is best.” At which Dad stepped across and smote Dr. Nokes with a right hand, so that the doctor went down and lay on his side with his pupils unfocused. As Mother cried out, Dad turned back to me, a clay child wrapped in a canvas coat, and said in a normal voice, “Reuben Land, in the name of the living God I am telling you to breath.” (2-3)

Christians don’t usually deck their doctors. That’s part of why the book works. There’s faith in it, but not like your usual faith. More strange, like the Bible.

Then there’s the way Mr. Enger writes. It’s not artsy. But, listen! It’s not your normal prose either. Stay with me. Here’s a few lines.

  • “Once torched by truth…a little thing like faith is easy.” (33)
  • “Routine is worry’s sly assassin.” (27)
  • “…a man whose face was a minefield of red boils…” (63)
  • “Exile has its hollow hours.” (310)

The book is a witness. It ends:

Is there a single person on whom I can press belief?

No sir.

All I can do is say, Here’s how it went. Here’s what I saw.

I’ve been there and am going back.

Make of it what you will. (311)

What do I make of it? Wrong question.

What is it making of me?

More alive to everything true, I hope. More steady in the wind. More hopeful. Less anxious. Eager for Christ to show up.

Yes. This is a recommendation.”

the pride of comparison

August 15, 2008 in Books, C.S. Lewis, Heroes, Quotable with 1 Comment

“If you want to find out how proud you are the easiest way is to ask yourself, ‘How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, or shove their oar in, or patronize me, or show off?’ The point is that each person’s pride is in competition with every one else’s pride. It is because I wanted to be the big noise at the party that I am so annoyed at someone else being the big noise. Two of a trade never agree. Now what you want to get clear is that Pride is essentially competitive–is competitive by its very nature–while the other vices are competitive only, so to speak, by accident. Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man. We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better-looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking there would be nothing to be proud about. It is the comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the element of competition has gone, pride has gone.”

-C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

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