I'm the only one who really sees the whole picture, and therefore I'm right. And other people are blocked because they lose the energy to fight, to stand up for what they believe in. They become weary and disillusioned and unable to face the constant hassle. This, perhaps, has been part of the problem in Northern Ireland over so many years. Ordinary people have grown weary of the constant need to fight for peace.
Pride is a very effective barrier.
It keeps God out as well as other people. You'll find yourself humiliated. And this sentiment has come into our English heritage in the saying, 'Pride comes before a fall'. But not everybody has that sort of pride, for pride has many disguises. Sometimes those disguises are twisted and inverted into a kind of false humility.