Maybe After A Couple More Incarnations?

We are all guilty of it at times. It is probably the most dangerous of human traits. We hate it in others and yet it is absolutely addictive. What the heck am I talking about? Self righteousness. Self righteousness inspires people to bomb abortion clinics, to kill abortion providers, to put fatwas out on cartoonists satirizing Mohamed, to become suicide bombers, to run political attack adds, to engage in road rage, to condemn people, and a bunch of other evil stuff.

We are probably all familiar with the question, "Would you rather be right, or be happy?" The answer is obviously, "I would rather be right, in fact I want to be filled to overflowing with self righteous outrage!" The reason we never admit it is, we blame others for our self righteous anger. Anybody over age 12 should know better than that but, nobody does.

Nobody can solve a problem they fail to admit they have. We as a species need to come to terms with our proclivity for self righteousness. We will probably go extinct if we do not. I suppose what actually makes self righteousness fatal is our instinct to dominate. If we did not try to impose our will on others we would just be miserable but not dangerous.

I am working on this and have made some personal progress but I know I have a long way to go. I have pretty much given up on controlling, so my self righteousness just makes me miserable. Now I let go of it a lot quicker than I used to.

The other day I saw an interview with the Dalai Lama on my TV. His Holiness was asked who his favorite American politician was. To my surprise he said it was George W. Bush. The interviewer seemed taken aback. He asked the Lama why he liked George W. Bush so much, considering many of his warlike policies. The Lama replied that he did not like President Bush's policies but he really liked George W. Bush, he thought he had a charming personality.

I sure do have some ways to go! I doubt I will achieve the Dalai Lama's spiritual clarity for a few lifetimes at the very least. I hope we don't kill ourselves off before I get the chance!




Russell

Why Can't We Be Bad Friends?

According to one of my spiritual references anytime we judge another person we are actually condemning ourselves. I guess there is a heck of a lot of self-condemnation going on because there is certainly a lot of judging. I think I agree with that precept. I know my judgements of others have never led to any actual contentment for me. I also like the idea that judgement is self condemnation because self righteous people really annoy me. I hope that doesn't mean I am judging them! But I bet it does. Still don't you hate it when people make negative assumptions about your intentions?

I am no saint but in general my intentions are benign. I don't think that is at all extraordinary. I think most people I know have done some pretty regrettable stuff. I don't know anyone (well maybe one) who claims to always act from a pure heart. The thing is this, how can we ever be friends with anyone if we expect perfection as a condition of our friendship? I am not sure I would even want a perfect friend.

I know a few people that present themselves as role models for the rest of us. There I go judging again (progress not perfection as they say I guess). Anyway these role model people make me really uncomfortable. They are no fun at all! I liked the part in Huckleberry Finn where Huck resigns himself to going to Hell for being an abolitionist. He comforted himself by deciding he would rather go to Hell with Tom Sawyer than to Heaven with all those hypocrites.

So if you have glaring character defects and you sometimes act regrettably be consoled to some extent. I would probably like to hang out with you. Then again I'm not sure I should be associating with kind of people that would have me as a friend.



Russell

Suffer In Silence Please

The other day I was complaining about how long it was taking my elbow to heal after using it as a crumple zone subsequent to flying over the handle bars of my bicycle. This guy nearby says, "yeah as we age it takes longer to heal," then he chuckled out loud. So I slugged him. I'm not sensitive about getting old, I just don't want to hear about it, gawdamnit! I'm bald too, and I'm used to it now, but people that need to tell me I'm bald are pretty annoying. I don't need to tell them they're unoriginal cretinous dumb bunnies, so why do they need to tell me the less obvious fact that I'm no longer a child and have experienced significant hair loss?

Usually I am in better humor but I was irritable. I think it was because I was sick. I don't do sick well. I prefer to ignore it. The trouble with that is it doesn't work. You just wind up getting sicker. I hate sick people, including myself when I'm ill. Anytime someone starts going on about their symptoms I find myself considering euthanasia as a speedy and preferred solution for them. I have all kinds of sympathy in other areas. Whine about most stuff and I will listen absent mindedly and offer casual reassurance that it will all work out. In other words I'll be a reasonable facsimile of care and concern. On the other hand start complaining about your snotty nose, your diarrhea, your achy feelings and I'll start fantasizing about smothering you to death with a pillow. So there I am feeling miserable wondering how to put myself outa my misery. I didn't call anybody or ask for anything because shit I wouldn't inflict me on anybody when I feel like that.

Fortunately I am all better now. I even rode my bike today, by the time I got back my inflamed tendons were letting me know I still have some healing to go yet. I guess I need to hold off of yoga for a while yet. I tell you what though, you gotta push through this stuff or else pull the plug.



Russell