Hubris is one of those things I never thought I would experience… but maybe that is hubristic! Hubris is the supreme confidence and perhaps pride (in a not good way) which often leads to a dramatic fall… and the sort of fall that those witnessing it probably try to hide their sense of satisfaction at the tumbling down of the great boaster. Hubris is tempered by arrogance, a sense of superiority and looking down contemptuously on others; hubris is the stamp of a super-inflated ego, sometimes but not always pompous, but nearly always sneering and lacking respect for others.
Hubris, as you might guess is a classical Greek word and has a different meaning in that context, “the intentional use of violence to humiliate or degrade”. These days the words and anger and facial expression maybe violent, but it is more often attitude. The prompt for this violence was a wish to avoid shame, and it was wrong actions to avoid the consequences. It was the interpretation of this which led to the present meaning… if you are interested, and it is quite interesting, you can read more here:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/274625/hubris
So how did I experience hubris today? I am usually a person who lacks confidence in my own achievements, and I feel uncomfortable blowing my own trumpet. I have been so pleased with my latest book, Radwinter, and I truthfully think it is the best thing I have written – I’m not setting myself up to be a great writer, I know I’m not that, but in terms of my work, I really think it is… (English modesty)… pleasing. Because I have self-published I have to do all my own promotion and part of promoting something is to say it is good… A good friend pointed out a typo… oh woe! It occurred about seven times! I had somehow given a character a wrong name! Hubris came down on me like a ton of bricks…
I have amended the mistake and anyone who buys my book now (please do!) should I hope enjoy it without seeing any glaring errors!
Radwinter is now available on Amazon
Lois Elsden 
Hubris can overcome anyone, although it is an undesirable trait, you have recognized it and are making amends for it. By the way, you should be proud of your book, it is a wonderful accomplishment to have published something you wish to share with the world. Sadly typos are a natural part of writing. I can’t tell you how many times I have read one of my poems and reread it only to still miss a mistake that was obvious to a reader. Sometimes I think we see what we expect to see and not what is really there.
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Thank you Dom for your kind and cheering words! You are so right about typos, and how blind we are… I expect it can sometimes be a reflection on life that we see what we expect to see!
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Don’t feel bad about it! I make this mistake all the time, and really have to watch my writing closely for it. My books use characters from Irish mythology…have you seen how Irish is written?!! Well nothing like it sounds, that’s for sure! Not only that, but different interpretations of the myths use different spellings, and then we have Old Irish, Middle Irish, Early Modern or Classical Irish, and Modern Irish, just to confuse matters even more! When I’m editing, I often find I have used more than one spelling for a character. At the end of the day, as an Indie, we are fortunate that we can easily and immediately rectify our mistakes as soon as they are spotted; if you published traditionally, that mistake would remain to haunt you forever more!
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Thank you so much Ali! Go raibh mile maith agat! I do indeed know how tricky Irish, and it’s mythology is and admire you enormously for bringing it to light and life! I am a very poor scholar of Gaelic, but enjoy it hugely, it is a wonderful language, beguiling in fact!
And yes, you are also right, that we can plunge straight in and correct our errors – I am so fortunate to have honest and kindly friends who tell me when they spot these annoying things, and are also objective and sympathetic in their criticism.
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I have a condition called neuropathy which has me in constant pain and have trouble standing, walking and keeping my balance. Doctors don’t know if it was from diabetes which I have under control or from an accident that injured my back. Either way it limits my mobility and has changed my life in all kinds of ways. The two things I have learned from this is patience and humility, two qualities I had little of before. I guess certain things are learned the hard way. I think they are the opposite of hubris.
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I’m sorry you have these problems; you have such an active mind and are so full of fun and interesting stories but I can see where your philosophical side has come from.
I think everyone should practice patience and humility, you are so right xxx
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