Talking About Ourselves

Our sensor of self-righteousness is constantly detecting signals of people whose behaviour and condcut we find disapproving, based on the standard that we set. No matter who the other person is, as we spend more time with a person, we will get to know him better (strengths and weaknesses), for his actions and speeches reveal to us much about his character.

Yet our response reveals to us even more about our own character. When our employer mistreats us and we start complaining to our colleagues and criticize about our employer behind his back, are we better off than our employer? When we find our friend's behaviour irritating and we start sharing with other friends about it, are we better off than our friend? Just when we think that we are better than the person that we dislike, our response shows us otherwise.

When we cross paths with someone that we dislike, I believe it is a test from God, a test of our character. I believe the most powerful response for us is to pray constantly. For the more we pray for a person, the more we will find ourselves loving that person.

Still, we can respond in the way that we usually do, using our mouths to criticize and gossip about that person, but at the same time proving to ourselves that we are actually talking about ourselves.