hubris n : exaggerated pride or self-confidence often resulting in retribution
A well-known proverb says that pride goes before a fall. Perhaps the proverb was thinking of the problem of hubris, that is, an inflated sense of self that results in punishment. Why? Hubris seems to have, at least in one of its aims, the goal of belittling others. It’s also entirely false, meaning that a person with the problem of hubris might take on a project for which he or she is not ready. It is, after all, an “exaggerated” sense of self. It is not a correct reflection upon one’s character and abilities.