Adversity can come in many forms. A less conspicuous way that people are tried is through temptation. Often this has been the case for me. Pride is a temptation and a trial that besets everyone. It seems to be one that never goes away. It is constant, always there. It springs upon you when you are least expecting it. To combat it, one's guard must never be down.
Pride is the great sin, the downfall of many individuals as well as entire civilizations. I believe the reason it is so ubiquitous deals with blessings. When we obey the Lord's commandments, He blesses us. Time and time again, the scriptures teach this principle of prosperity following obedience.
The Lord will have a humble people. It is up to us whether we humble ourselves or choose to be humbled. I want to always keep my personal pride cycle incomplete, never reaching that point of sorrow where I recognize my dependence on God because of self-inflicted difficult circumstances.
It has recently struck me that God, an omniscient, all-powerful, perfect, glorified being, is perfectly humble. How can you be all that and stay humble?! Humility is, I believe, the crowning achievement of the ongoing self-mastery process. Paul taught the Corinthians that the conquering of your natural man is the the essence of perfection. And pride, I believe, is the most challenging aspect of its (the natural man's) companionship.