"For People who are at Least Somewhat Desperate #2"
The Question: I don’t understand what the Yosher Divrei Emes meant when he wrote that the worst thing, הרע הגדול , is to fall into depression and gloom. Then right after that, he continues and says that those states come about because of arrogance and a false, exaggerated sense of self. I can’t understand the connection between them. It seems that depression is the opposite of pride. Depressed people are broken people, not prideful people. The Admor, Shlita, answers: Rav Asher Freund, זי"ע , taught us that a person generally lives his 70 years with either excessive pride or despair. או גאוה או יאוש Despair comes as a result of excessive pride. If things don’t bring me happiness, enabling me to be prideful, then I find myself settling into despair. For example, when a person walks into a room full of people and someone recognizes him and greets him, he feels prideful. If suddenly, his best friend doesn’t pay any attention...
