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We’ve all encountered someone with a “holier than thou” attitude. You know the type: the person who thinks they are better than everyone else and takes every opportunity to let you know. It’s not a pleasant experience, and it can be frustrating, to say the least.
When it comes to the issue of self-righteousness, a particular scenario always comes to mind: the parable of the publican and the pharisee. Of course, it is a religious setting, but this incident is applicable to every aspect of our lives.
This story is an interesting one because it exposes how naive we can be as humans in regard to how we see ourselves in relation to others. It was said in the book of Luke 18:9–14 that two men went to the temple to pray: a pharisee and a publican, or tax collector, as the story explained it.
The tax collector identifies himself as a sinner before God and prayed that God should have mercy on him. In fact, he was seeking redemption.
On the other hand, the pharisee prayed in a manner that shows arrogance and naivety. Just look at his statement:
In verses 11-12 of Luke chapter 18, it says, “The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.”
He continued, “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.”
From the Pharisee’s speech, there are few things we can draw out that affect us today. They are;
– Pride
You can sense pride in the Pharisee and that’s exactly what self-righteousness does. It makes a person believe that they are morally superior to others, and it blinds them to their own flaws while magnifying the faults of those around them.
– Lack of Empathy
When a person believes they are always right and that everyone else is wrong, they become unable to empathize with those around them. Instead of seeking to understand the perspective and experiences of others, they judge and condemn them.
In this way, self-righteousness creates a vicious cycle of negativity and conflict.
To break free from the poison of self-righteousness, we must begin by acknowledging our flaws and recognizing that we do not have all the answers.We must be willing to listen to others, seek to understand their experiences and be open to learning from them.
This requires humility and vulnerability, but it is a small price to pay for the rich and meaningful connections we can build with others.
