Self-Righteousness Is Trying Too Hard To Be Good – It Comes From The Collective Ego
I always think that we are trying too hard to be good. Really. Because, if we weren’t striving that much for purity, righteousness, perfection and sanctity (in the hopes of being allowed to be rambling in God’s garden), we wouldn’t do all the demented things we are doing.
It is in the name of good – God – that we practice religious mass killings. And it’s not only the “bad” religions (like ISIS is doing in the name of Islam), but let’s not forget Christianity’s strive for “goodness” in the past. Along the years, entire populations and whole continents have been enslaved, sold, exterminated by armies and missionarism. But this isn’t Religion: this is Ego.
As we cringe today at the abominable actions perpetrated, also in the name of God (but, alas, the one from a different book), we seem to be forgetful of all that terrible past now. But this is not just “past” – this is Present. The next day after the 9/11 president Bush announced the beginning of a new Crusade War, affirming his commitment to address the “evil” at its own home – in fact, he initiated the chaos that we are now witnessing in the Middle East. ISIS and the refugee crisis wold not exist if not for the 3rd millennium Crusade War, and as much as we mind the mess, imagine what those populations’ everyday lives have become.
Could it be that in real life, the mythic fight between good and evil is not that clearly cut along white and black zones? If we tried to gain some perspective, we might see that in the middle of darkness there is a pure white spot, and in the middle of whiteness, there is a pitch dark one.
Our medias keep on displaying for our hungry eyes endless, repetitive, real-life stories with horrific images. How ugly the others are, to us, the good and the right ones… But these stories ever fail to mention the western politics of separating and dissolution, of dissipation, of squandering their human and land resources… How their dictators have been selected and supported by the powers of the West, how inhumane politics were tolerated in place, in exchange for oil and other resources… how it was convenient to maintain those populations in the darkness of dogmas and madrasas, rather than pressuring their rulers for social, economic and educational reforms… The stories that media shows us are freshly cut for modern consumer’s eye; the stories fail to mention that, for ages, since the Roman Empire to today, the western slogan for the politics in the Middle East has been “divide ad impera”: divide and rule! Medias fail to tell that today’s affluent western society is built on centuries of colonization and exploitation of exactly those populations that today, exhausted by wars and famine, are crossing over the frozen and agitated seawaters on boats of fortune, to knock at the door of an indignant and frustrated West.
The epic battle between right and wrong is being enacted right now, and we are the protagonists. Let’s remember that the only time where “right” is justified is when it comes with the adjective “human”. What we are living now will be history for the coming generations – they will have the perspective to judge, let’s hope, with a more impartial eye, free of our blinding self-righteousness. What will they think of us??
- see article on The Role of The Ego here: http://rishajoshi.com/2015/12/16/the-role-of-the-ego/
The Lace In My Head Mirrors the Cosmic Mind 
Fantastic post. There’s definitely more gray areas than most of us would like to admit when it comes to morality. And it’s very sad that “religion” has always been used as an excuse for genocide. God said “thou shalt not kill” but then a few verses later, the Israelites went to Cannaan and killed almost everybody. I believe that God can be found in pieces in all religions and mythologies, but none of them have the complete picture (other than the historicity of Christ in my opinion). The problem, I think, is when a group of people assumes that their belief system can contain and define every single attribute of God, who is in fact unknowable by definition. I think there’s truth in all religions, but I don’t think any one of them or any person could possibly have the whole picture. God’s just too big.
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I regret not being quite in synchrony with my reading and comments, so I feel embarrassed at the delay with which I answer. Happy to find your comment on this post, however. You are perfectly right about our incapacity to conceive the inconceivable, comprehend the incomprehensible. Which bring to my mind good, old wisdom. The ancients were using a formula that is full of sense to me: via negativa – by way of denial (lit: the negative way). The same concept seems to be widely shared. In Hinduism: “neti-neti” Islam: “bila haifa” (without description) Judaism: ein –soph (in Kabbalah, understood as God prior to his self-manifestation through creation); we can relate it also to Dao: empty, silent, formless, nameless, not limited to space and time. But this should be subject for a new post, of which I have been thinking for a while.
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You are very knowledgable when it comes to metaphysics. I can’t wait to read your new post regarding the subject. So many of the old ways and old myths all said the same thing in different ways…timeless truth. “Truth is one; the sages speak it by many names.” I think that’s from Hinduism, but I read about it in a book by Campbell.
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I would hope that future generations will be horrified at the history we have made over the past few years. If they feel anything but disgust, what will that say about them?
Great post. It’s a shame I don’t manage to keep up to date with your blog. Life is hectic.
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Thnx, Jane, I appreciate – it happens the same with everyone, that is why I stopped posting all together. But this made me suffer so much, that I “decided to decide” to go for the stuff I myself really care about, rather than keeping on living the lives of those who I care about. Not that they care as much.
Interesting your point: if future generations would feel disgust,this means that they will be apalled at what we did, which means that they would be different, better. Hopefully.
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I’m glad you came back to your blog, even though I’m an unreliable follower.
I have been living in hope since the age of ten- 50 years ago (jeez – all I did was blink, and suddenly I was covered with wrinkles!) when I learnt that we were stinking up the planet with destructive chemical polutants, and whatever life throws out I refuse to give up hope that we will learn to live a better way.
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Thnx, Jane, I appreciate – it happens the same with everyone, that is why I stopped posting all together. But this made me suffer so much, that I “decided to decide” to go for the stuff I myself really care about, rather than keeping on living the lives of those who I care about. Not that they care as much.
Interesting your point: if future generations would feel disgust,this means that they will be apalled at what we did, which means that they would be different, better.
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