pride

i hate it, HATE it when people tell me things i already know as though they are teaching me. i've been like that ever since i was a little kid. how do i put that particular pride away? i'd like to be truly gracious about it. instead i smile on the outside and say something nice when on the inside i'm raging and feeling as though i need to prove myself better than they think i am. i know they don't mean it that way. but i still get angry.

i'd like to learn more about how a practice (e.g. being gracious) turns into a habit which turns into second nature, which hopefully just becomes natural.