Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant (1 Cor. 13:4). Paul shows us the "more excellent way" (1 Cor. 12:31) by picturing the character and conduct of love.
True love is patient–long-suffering. It endures evil, injury, and provocation, without being filled with resentment or revenge.
Saying that Christians are imperfect people is stating the obvious. Accepting them as imperfect people is an entirely different matter.
True love remains kind, continually doing good despite the wrongs it suffers, just as Jesus perfectly demonstrated in His life–"consider Him who endured such hostility..." (Heb. 12:3).
True love is not jealous. This is not the same jealousy demonstrated by God (cf. Jas. 4:5; Deut 4:24; Heb. 12:28-29)–Paul refers to resenting the success of others, and longing to promote self at any cost. Such is not love, but "loving to be first" (3 Jn. 1:9).
Boasting has no place in truly loving each other.
Proud people have no patience with those who fail to recognize their greatness. Pride not only makes one think too highly of himself, it makes him think too little of his brethren–and everyone else.
Pride is so obvious and detestable in others, yet seldomly detected within self. Every Christian should search his heart frequently and carefully for such sin.
Paul is connecting the dots for us. A proud heart is a jealous heart with no time to practice kindness toward others because it's too enamored with self.
A prideful heart can never truly love anything so long as it remains prideful.
Number one on a list of things hated by God is the proud look (Pro. 6:17) and every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord (Pro. 16:5). God is love. Pride is anti-God, therefore it is anti-love.
It is contrary to the spirit of Christ who emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant (Phil. 2:7). No wonder God opposes the proud (Jas. 4:6).
Like Him, we should do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3).
Practicing true Christ-like love suppresses and ultimately destroys the vaunting of self. It raises and esteems others. Just as He did for us (1 Jn. 3:1).