In Love With A Prideful Man? 6 Helpful Tips!

What causes a prideful man?

Read more: 25 Signs Of a Prideful Man!

What is too much pride in a relationship?

Everyone has some pride, but excessive pride can cause power struggles and damage a relationship. Men with broken pride and ego often need therapy to heal and become more humble. They must rebuild their self-esteem and learn to trust others. Constantly guarded, they may misinterpret innocent behavior as an attack or react negatively to your growth. They may also use toxic control tactics to feel safe and maintain power in the relationship.

6 Tips to Deal with Pride in a Relationship:

If you find that your husband or boyfriend is not humble there is help for you and him. But, He has to want help and growth too. Use these 6 tips to start the process of overcoming pride in your relationship:

#1 Identify and Address the Issue of Pride

Observe your partner’s behavior, especially in situations where pride seems to take over. Pay attention to when he becomes defensive, avoids admitting mistakes, or shows signs of insecurity. Try to identify patterns in his actions and think about what might trigger his prideful reactions.

Once you’ve recognized these behaviors, approach him with kindness and understanding. Share your observations in a calm, non-accusatory way, and express your desire to understand and grow together. Be mindful of your own pride and avoid attacking or blaming him. Focus on honest, respectful communication, and be open to hearing his perspective. If needed, encourage seeking help, like therapy or counseling, but do so with gentleness and without pressuring him.

Suggestion for Conversations:

• Have monthly or bi-weekly communication sessions where both partners share one thing they’re doing well, one thing they see their partner doing well, and one area for growth. This fosters vulnerability, allows space for grace and patience, and celebrates small wins that may go unnoticed.
• Stay Curious: Ask thoughtful questions like, “I notice you do [XY] when [XY] happens. Do you know why?” or “What am I saying that provokes you?” Be patient as it may take time to find answers, but this encourages growth and mutual understanding.

#2 Earn His Trust

Honesty, kindness, and humility are essential. While he may not always see his faults, consistently showing pure intentions helps build trust.

In disagreements, focus on helping him understand how you feel—not on making him agree. Trust grows when you acknowledge his viewpoint without trying to change it. Show you’re on his team by listening and validating his feelings.

Prideful men often struggle with self-worth, so pushing your opinions without understanding his side may signal that his truth isn’t important. Instead, recognize when one or both of you have reached your limit. Long, tense discussions or sharing too many complicated feelings in one sitting can backfire. Take time to reflect and schedule another day to talk, ensuring neither of you feels neglected or without an opportunity to be heard.

When it’s time to share, remember it’s your perspective—he doesn’t have to agree. The goal is for him to understand how his actions affect you, not to “win” the argument. Getting caught in a right-or-wrong battle is prideful. Drop the need to be right and aim for mutual understanding.

#3 Learn His Communication Style

Prideful men communicate—but often not in the way women want expect them to. Understanding his style is key to strengthening your connection.

Pay attention to subtle cues like body language, tone, or mood changes. When he seems off, try small gestures like cooking his favorite meal, offering a break, or simply asking, “I’ve noticed we’re not communicating well. How can I better support you?” These gestures show you’re present without pushing for immediate answers.

Be genuine. If your actions are motivated by getting what you want, he’ll sense it. Everything should come from a place of unconditional love and selflessness.

It’s not always easy, especially if he’s irritable or prideful. But giving your best effort matters. Praise him more than you criticize, and acknowledge when he’s doing things right. Positive reinforcement encourages better communication and connection.

Recommended Read: He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle —a helpful guide on understanding men.

#4 Hold Him Accountable

You can gently let your man know when his pride is getting in the way, even suggesting therapy or counseling. (Warning: He may ignore your suggestion, get defensive, or to the extreme He’ll lash out in anger.) Remember, there’s a difference between letting him know and nagging. Once you’ve said your piece, trust that God will send outside reminders and encouragement to help him grow. It’s not your job to make him change, but sometimes, you just need to plant the seed. Life will bring him the lessons he needs when he’s ready to learn.

When bringing up future issues, focus on the main concern rather than nitpicking everything he’s doing wrong. I understand that this can be difficult, but remember, this journey isn’t easy for him either. Nagging can make him feel inadequate, pushing him further into pride.

If he refuses therapy, consider seeking your own counseling or try the first 20 minutes of empowerment coaching with me for free. Your goal is to learn how to communicate effectively, so you don’t push him away. Instead of complaining, approach conversations with a mindset of wanting to fix things. As your coach, I can help you navigate this process and the emotional challenges this relationship may bring.

Related Article: Empaths Attract Narcissists in Relationship: 3 Keys To End Cycle!

#5 Trust Your Reality

A prideful man may twist reality to protect himself from painful truths. He might manipulate facts, blame others, or use control tactics like gaslighting or blame-shifting. These toxic behaviors aren’t necessarily about deceiving you but rather his way of coping with insecurity and unworthiness.

Your job is to trust what you see. For example, if he gets jealous because someone looked at you, recognize that it’s his ego reacting, not your behavior. Don’t question whether you were too friendly. His insecurity can drive him to blame others to avoid feeling like the “bad guy.” Stand firm in your perception, and don’t internalize his distortions as your fault.

Therapy is crucial in helping you stay confident in your reality. If you accept his altered version of events, it enables him to avoid emotional growth and continue mistreating you.

Confronting someone with pride may escalate their behavior as they try to maintain control. If you stand firm, they may manipulate or mistreat you. So, remember, physical & emotional abuse are never acceptable. Early tests of boundaries may condition you to tolerate mistreatment. Consult a therapist to assess if it’s escalated to abuse and if leaving is necessary.

Related Article: Toxic Relationship Quiz: Test If It’s Emotionally Abusive!

#6 Be Completely Humble

How do you fight pride? With humility. But be prepared, the prideful man will trigger your own pride, and you will have to overcome it when he provokes you.

He may make you feel what he is feeling inside. For example, he might ignore you for days because he’s angry. Will you ignore him back to prove your point? Or, if he blames you for everything to avoid guilt, will you retaliate and point out everything he’s done wrong to feel justified?

If you choose to stay, your job is to respond with truth and love. It’s okay to feel pain and anger, but never act out of revenge or anger. Don’t keep bringing up past mistakes with the goal of making him feel bad or forcing him to understand you. It will likely only escalate things. Remember, the goal is not who is right or wrong, but finding a solution.

A prideful man will be less likely to humble himself if you respond with pride. Seek therapy if needed, both for healing and for clarity on whether this relationship is right for you. Be sure to practice self-love so your emotional tank doesn’t run empty. You’ll need strength to continue loving him.

Also, extreme pride can lead to emotional and physical abuse. Humility doesn’t mean being a doormat. If you’re experiencing abuse and he refuses to grow, leaving may be necessary. Your safety and well-being should always come first. Here are 64 signs of abuse. Essentially, your safety and well-being should always be a priority.

Related Article: 10 Keys to Communicate without Arguing in Romantic Relationships

#7 Pray for Him

Pride is caused by trauma. On top of needing healing, He needs God to give him the strength to be more humble. God’s power is needed to remove His distrust, heal his low self-esteem, and renew his identity. In fact, only the power of Jesus Christ can break the cycle of pride. The prideful man needs God to heal his broken self-confidence and give him the strength to love himself. So don’t stop praying for him.

Resources: Want to join Adorned Heart’s Women’s Prayer on Zoom? You will meet women that are ready to support you, as you pray for wholeness in your marriage. You can fill out this form to let me know your availability to do a prayer call on zoom twice a month! We will also explore what the Bible has to say about prayer!

Related Article: Is Your Man’s Shame & Guilt Destroying Your Relationship?

Are you a prideful wife?

Be very careful not to pin all the blame on your significant other. If you can’t see anything you’re doing wrong or any areas for improvement, you may have a blind spot when it comes to your behaviors. Even thinking that you are more emotionally composed than someone else can indicate the presence of pride in your heart.

Thinking that they should do things your way and you have all the answers can become control, pride, and manipulation. Sometimes, your husband maybe frustrated with your flaws which trigger his flaws. It can be VERY complicated to really figure out the cause of the pride issues in your relationship. I highly suggest you get an expert involved and use these 38 signs to help you identify if you are struggling with pride as well! And don’t forget to try the first 20 minutes of empowerment coaching with me for FREE.

How to Deal with High Pride Husband

Your husband’s high pride often stems from insecurity, feelings of unworthiness, and fear. He may feel the need to show off, create a fake persona, be defensive, and avoid admitting mistakes. He hasn’t learned that it’s okay to just be himself and that the world doesn’t expect perfection or seek to make him look “inadequate.”

As his partner, it’s your role to hold him accountable for growth, while also providing a safe space for him to be vulnerable. When you win his trust, he may open his heart fully. But keep in mind, he must WANT to change and put in the effort himself—this is a matter of free will. You can love and pray for him better than anyone else, but he may still choose not to trust you or let down his guard.

Don’t let your own pride trick you into thinking you can “fix” him.

Remember, I’m here to help you pray and navigate this journey. Try the first 20 minutes of empowerment coaching with me for FREE, and let’s seek God together to ensure you’re on the right path.