Pride and shame

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ImagePride and shame are opposite sides of the same coin – a coin we create to keep ourselves separated from the rest of humanity.

At the start of their shows, stage hypnotists say jokingly to their selected subjects, “Don’t worry. I won’t make you commit any crimes. I can’t make you do anything that goes against your morals or ethics.”

It’s the same for us. Short of holding a gun to their head, there’s nothing you or I could do to make a person behave in a way that is not in already in their character.

And yet there were times when people I have cared about treated me badly, and I would struggle with feeling ashamed, thinking I had done something to make that person behave so horribly.

Why did I feel ashamed? Why did I think I was the reason someone had behaved badly?

It wasn’t shame. It was actually a twisted case of pride.

I was mistakenly thinking I was so extraordinary I could cause someone else to behave a certain way.

Of course I understand now that when people behave badly, that’s their choice and their response. And my response – pride masked as shame – was my way to make myself special, other and separate.

6 thoughts on “Pride and shame”

    • Hi, ELI
      Thank you for your kind words and I’m glad you thought it was a helpful post. We all learn from each other, right? Hope to see you back in the blog again soon.

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  4. Appreciating the persistence you put into your blog and in
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    • Hi, Pezzi
      I appreciate your kind words. I give my best in my blog -just my musings and lessons learned through life, but it makes me happy if someone else gets something from it all. Hope to see you back in the blog again soon.

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