the funny thing

The funny thing about being proud and conceited is that it is easier to see defects in other people than in ourselves.

It belongs to the nature of pride.

We easily become irritated if we see someone who is very proud, but it is difficult, VERY DIFFICULT, for us to recognize that we are conceited.

It is easier to see pride at work in other people than to see pride at work in us.

We assume that we are important, and expect to be treated as such.

If we pay for a service, we demand the type of service that is commensurate to the money we spent.

An experiment with monkeys was conducted. Snakes were placed inside a transparent bag and the bag was placed inside the monkeys' cage.
The monkeys, upon seeing the snakes , shrieked, panicked and ran away. After a while, the monkeys returned and looked at the bag again. They shrieked and ran away again.
The monkeys continued to return, to look at the bag, then shrieked and ran away again.

The same thing is true with us.
We shriek when we see defects in other people. We shriek, we get irritated, we get annoyed like the monkeys seeing snakes. Yet, like the monkeys, we return and return and return and gobble up more pride.

If only we will begin to look at ourselves first, we will see that we are not exactly better than the others. We have weaknesses. We have frailites. We experience defeats and failures from our waterloos. We suffer the brunt of our misdemeanors. Many more...

"I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of HIS feet", St. John The baptist says.
If only we recognize how proud we can be; how conceited we can be; how self important we can be; then we will be on the right track, and blessings will come our way...