The problem with ga’avah is that it illustrates a lack of comprehension of the world. This person learned the Mishnah העולם נברא בשבילי, the world was created for my sake, and he thinks that no one else learned it. He is convinced that the Ribbono shel Olam requires his avodah more than He requires anyone else’s. He did not learn the Gemara asking, Why do you think that your blood is redder than another’s? This person’s mindset of superiority ruins everything for him.
Conversely, when a person lives with the right mindset and attitude, he begins to respect others—not in order to seek their constant approval or their smile. And when he respects others, he is drawn closer to the Ribbono shel Olam, and this causes the הבריות רוח to be favorable to him. They go together. If you go in the right direction, you will get to the right place.
