Browsed by
Tag: position

High Horse

High Horse

Comments 7 comments

High Horse--young woman beside large horseNone of us has any reason to get on a high horse. However, when life goes well, we face the temptation to act high and mighty.

To get on a high horse means to act superior.

Years ago, people of high rank rode tall horses. That custom became a symbol of superiority.

If we are on a high horse, we believe or act like we are better than others. That may mean higher:

  • Morals
  • Power
  • Finances
  • Position

However, the higher the horse, the farther the fall.

When we look down on other people, we lower ourselves. Our highfalutin ways end up hurting rather than helping. They also make other people respect us less, not more.

If we fail or fall from a high rank, the loss hurts worse.

We want confidence but not arrogance.

To be more effective, we need to get off our high horse and work with one another.

As we learn and grow together, we become better people. Rather than look down on others, we want to lift them up.

We travel this journey of life together. Why not unite and achieve more?

That makes good horse sense. Don’t you agree?

“Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor” (Proverbs 29:23 NIV).

Thanks to Pat Childress Conner Stapp for the suggestion and to Chelsey Stone for the photo.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Bigwig

Bigwig

Comments 6 comments

Bigwig-woman in costume with high wigFew of us are bigwigs. However, we probably know people who are.

A bigwig is an important person.

The person may be a:

  • King, queen, or other government official
  • President of a company
  • Famous actor or athlete

A bigwig usually has a high position, power, and money.

According to The Phrase Finder, “The fashion for wigs began with the Bourbon kings of France. Louis XIII (1601 – 1643) went prematurely bald and took to wearing a wig. By the middle of the century … wigs were virtually obligatory for all European nobility.” Their wigs became so large, this phrase grew in popularity.

Bigwig also means a person who pretends to be important.

If we try to be a bigwig, we act highfalutin. Our pride gives us a big head. Other people usually recognize the behavior as only an act.

Everyone is important to God.

We may not have a high position, money, or power, but God gives us purpose. May each of us find our purpose and do it to the best of our ability.

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you” (Romans 12:3 NIV).

Thanks to Regina Graham for the suggestion. Image by Michael Gaida from Pixabay.

Do you have an expression you want explained or a thought about this one? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Low Man on the Totem Pole

Low Man on the Totem Pole

Comments 2 comments

Low Man on the Totem PoleTotem poles are carved and painted by Native Americans in the northwest part of North America.

According to dictionary.com, comedian Fred Allen probably started our saying “low man on the totem pole” around 1940. The phrase became popular “despite its lack of application to a genuine totem pole.”

The low man on the totem pole is often considered the least important person in a group.

  • He holds the lowest position.
  • Others show him little respect.
  • He usually has to do the work no one else wants to do.

A new person in an organization may refer to himself as low man on the totem pole.

Nevertheless, the low man on the totem pole has hope.

Everyone must begin somewhere. Most begin at the bottom and then work their way up to the position they desire.  

Some people prefer a lower position. In addition, the person at the top cannot do what he needs to do without the people who work below him.

People at the bottom are needed as much as those at the top.

Often they are needed more.

If the lowest image on a totem pole is destroyed, the totem pole can no longer stand. Repairs may help, but the totem pole will never be the same. That truth applies to organizations as well. Therefore, my hat’s off to all who serve as low man on the totem pole.

Click here for further information about totem poles.

“Work happily together. Don’t try to act big. Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don’t think you know it all!” (Romans 12:16 TLB).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.