Conceit of ourselves

No. We already have a very high idea of ourselves. Since conceit is an ‘excessively high opinion of one’s ability’, it is a criticism. Living up to one’s conceited view would make the imagined qualities real. So I assume the prayer means, ‘Don’t just think you are a great person. Be that person.’

Hi

If conceit means "excessively high opinion of one's ability" then I understand it to mean that *** should make us have a not so excessive opinion of ourselves, maybe that we shouldn't elevate ourselves above others?

I believe it is probably an old meaning of "conceit" that is somewhat different from the usual modern meaning.

Thanks GPY. That sparked a search in my 1936 Roget’s Thesaurus.
The old meaning of ‘conceit’ was the noun from ‘conceive’ (what we now call ‘concept’). It is included as a synonym of imagination.
So by extension, the prayer is suggesting that we understand ourselves—in other words, be confident.

GPYI believe it is probably an old meaning of "conceit" that is somewhat different from the usual modern meaning.

Agree. A conceit in that sense, as I understand it, is basically a metaphoric comparison or analogy, but that doesn't exactly fit the prayer. d below is about the closest that makes sense.

conceit

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HI

As someone only a few hundred miles from their border, I'd be happier with an explanation that suggests that "guid conceit" is a Scots idiom

I don't know what it means. It seems to be a mixture of "know thyself truly" and "know thyself as a good person"

Dave

The prayer means that It is a requirement that we think of ourselves as extraordinary. Smart. Wise. Etc. claim these for your self everyday, but realize that these come to you from your Father, and he has given them to all his children.