Imam has undertaken a useful discussion in this regard as follwoing:
Its signs are discernible in his actions and its symptoms are clearly noticed by others by which they know that he is proud.
Kibr is something different from ‘ujb, and, as mentioned earlier, this vice is the offspring and fruit of the tree of ‘ujb.
‘Ujb consists of self-love and conceit, and the meaning of kibr is to consider oneself superior to others.
When someone perceives a merit in himself and is overcome by a sense of pleasure, exultation, and vanity, that state is called ‘ujb.
And when he considers others to be lacking in the imagined merit within himself, he perceives himself to be superior.
This perception of superiority and supremacy over others causes in him a state of vanity, which is pride. Kibr, in this sense, is an inner state, and when its effects are reflected in his behavior and his speech, it is called takabbur.
In short, the self-indulgent person becomes self-seeking, and his self seeking tendency grows into self-love, and when this self-love is filled to the brim it manifests itself as haughtiness and high-handed treatment of others.
Here, it is necessary to mention that the psychic traits, whether vices and infirmities or virtues and accomplishments, are extremely complicated and complex matters.
It becomes extremely difficult to discern one from the other.
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On account of this, there is often a great difference of opinion even among great scholars in precisely defining them and it may be impossible to give a faultless definition of inner states, Imam further explains.
Therefore, it is better for us to leave this matter to the inner conscience of individuals and not to entangle ourselves in the maze of finding precise definitions, and turn attention to our main purpose.
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