It was not easy to be a Pharisee

the Pharisee
The pharisees were the experts in Israel as regards fulfillment of the law. They were the holy ones, and their name means "the separated ones." In other words, their striving for justice and holiness separated them from the run-of-the-mill Jew.
It was not easy to be a pharisee, it entailed fasting and prayer and a scrupulous fidelity to countless laws and their application. It was involved and arduous.
It was quite understandable that any man doing all those things would think himself superior to others.

And I believe if I am in the shoe of a Pharisee, I would think likewise too, but in a more subtle way than how our Lord described in the Gospel.

Don't I?
I count (in my mind) the sacrifices I made for the Lord
I "whine" (rather pray) about the "burden" of the ministry
I checklist the ministries I serve in, especially the important ones.
I am (so what) proud of my knowledge of the Scriptures compared to others.
I milestone my "journey" with the Lord