be proud
傲 centers on an attitude of pride that can become arrogance or looking down on others. The given meaning 'be proud' covers both justified pride and excessive haughtiness.
傲 combines 亻 (person) with 敖, which likely contributes both sound and the idea of pride or arrogance. The exact historical development of 敖 is uncertain.
A person 亻 standing beside 敖, a component associated with pride, suggests someone puffed up with self-importance. Picture a person with their chest out, looking down on others.
For ゴウ, imagine a proud person saying 'Go!' with an arrogant tone, as if ordering others around: Go -> ゴウ, and the person's pride makes them bossy.
haughty; arrogant; insolent; proud; overbearing
haughty; arrogant; supercilious
haughty; arrogant; insolent; proud
haughty; arrogant; insolent; proud
haughty arrogance
arrogance
haughty; arrogant; overbearing
(arrogance and) insolence
proud; arrogant; haughty
pride; arrogance