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%SELF RIGHTEOUS PRIDE PROUD ALIENATE BEHAVIOR BLIND 960125

     Self-righteousness  with  its  associated  arrogance,
pride  and  alienative   behaviors---blind  self-righteous
people   to most truths which others offer,  but which are
found offensive by the self-righteous.

     Self-righteous  people separate themselves apart from
humble  people through exclusive behaviors---in  exclusive
clubs, churches,  organizations and professions.   They do
not seek  the  truth,  and do not recognize  it  when they
stumble over the truth.   They regard the truth, when they
stumble  over it, as an obstacle to getting what  the want
and  feel that they deserve.   The truth must be  removed,
gotten  out of the way.   They do not walk in the ways  of
the  truth, because  therein they often stumble  over  the
truth which is in their way.

     Self-righteous  people pride themselves on the  basis
of the criteria  which  they  have  chosen  to distinguish
themselves  from  those  who are  not as righteous as they
are. Their criteria are  deliberately  alienative; grounds
for   creating  separations  between  those  who  can   be
"trusted"   and  those who cannot be "trusted".   But even
those whom are most like the self-righteous are not worthy
of  real  trust---because   they   are also dedicated   to
alienative exclusivity.

     Self-righteous  people  seek in manipulative ways  to
make  other  people  vulnerable to  their  judgements  and
condemnations.   Their self-righteous behaviors make other
people insecure---and so invite defensive behaviors  which
will  justify the judgements and condemnations which  made
people insecure and defensive.   Self-righteous people are
committed to promoting conflicts between separated people.
They cannot see any value in peace-making or true conflict
resolution.  They have blinded themselves to the values of
peace-making and true conflict resolution.   They  worship
competition  which  tends  towards  eternal  conflict  and
violence.   Their collusive games of mutual self deception
are not engaged in for purposes of integrative fellowship.
They  are deadly earnest and severe in enforcing the rules
of   their  collusive  games  of  mutual  self  deception;
including  the  rule  that  the rules not  be  made  clear
through careful and honest articulation.

     Self-righteous  people are playing collusive games of
mutual self deception  so  that  they  can "enjoy"  seeing
themselves through the wishful visions of their closed and
blinded eyes.   They are out of touch with reality and out
of  touch  with  other people who are different than  they
are; humble,  informed, in dialogue, and enjoying personal
and communal integrity.   But,  they do not know that they
are suffering, because they are out of touch.

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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