We have multiple forms of blindness. We have physical blindness. We have emotional blindness. We have mental blindness. We have spiritual blindness. Each form of blindness limits us severely.
We experience blindness resulting from love. The old folks say, “Love is blind!” It means that we cannot see defects in those we love even though they are right before our very eyes. Not only is love blinding, but it’s very opposite, hate, is equally blinding. One causes us to not see that which is right before us. The other causes us to see that which does not exist. Fear blinds us. Greed blinds us. So many things blind us.
There is a massive form of blindness sweeping this country and perhaps the world. I call it self-righteousness. I choose to explore this particular blindness because it is impacting us in such far-reaching ways. This blindness has been around for thousands of years, but it is growing in geometric proportions with the advent of modern media and social media. Blindness prevents us from seeing and being our best selves.
Self-righteousness says I am right and, therefore, you are wrong. When we think we are right, we are certain that we know the truth. When we are convinced that we know the truth, there is no need to seek the truth. The truth becomes whatever is our position. We are at our best when we seek the truth. To seek the truth, we must first understand that we don’t know the truth. Then we must desire to know the truth. Finally, we must work to find the truth. Self-righteousness blocks our truth-seeking.
I know self-righteousness firsthand. When I was a child, I was filled with self-righteousness. I thought I knew what was right and, therefore, knew what was wrong and who was wrong. I was blinded. Self -righteousness never leaves us completely, so I still struggle with the remnants. As a child, I had intense run-ins with my mother, my teachers, my brothers and sisters, and others. Nearly every run-in sprang from self-righteousness. I was always right. They were always wrong. If I was right, the others had to be wrong. I could only see what I perceived as the wrongness in others. I could only see what I perceived as the rightness in myself. Both were mirages. I saw what I wanted to see in myself. I saw what I needed to see in others to support what I wanted to see in myself. I was blinded.
Let me share one personal story of my blindness. When I was in the 5th or 6th grade, I was a very good marble shooter. One day I had a pocket full of marbles I had won from other children. They made clicking noises as I moved. Another boy dropped a marble on the classroom floor. It rolled around making a clear noise. The teacher apparently thought I had dropped the marble. She told me to bring all my marbles to her. I refused. I kept telling her that I did not drop the marble on the floor. She kept telling me to bring the marbles to her. I got crazy mad. I took the marbles out of my pocket and threw them all over the classroom. She beat me with a strap until I picked up every single marble. I was absolutely convinced I was right. She was absolutely convinced she was right. I could not see that there were bigger issues than who dropped the marbles on the floor. I was blinded.
I could explore the various elements of the marble event across many pages. However, I want to move on to the broader challenge facing us. I see the widespread self-righteousness in the political arena. I see so many absolutely convinced that they are right, and others are absolutely wrong. We are all blinded by our self-righteousness. Self-righteousness creates a pale of darkness through which we cannot see. Then we stumble in the dark we've created. This self-righteousness prevents us from seeing that our children are living in fear and dying too young. It prevents us from seeing that we are destroying the very earth we need to live. It prevents us from seeing that we are corrupting the very society that we need to thrive. It prevents us from seeing that we are turning on each other rather than to each other. Self-righteousness blinds us and prevents us from being our best selves.
We must understand that we hold positions, not “rights” and “wrongs.” We can easily compromise positions. We cannot easily compromise right and wrong. To compromise right in any way is wrong. Self-righteousness prevents us from seeing those who have different positions on certain issues. Self-righteousness prevents us from really seeing ourselves. Self-righteousness prevents us from seeing the full dimensions of issues. Self-righteousness blinds us and prevents us from being our best selves. Self- righteousness is too pervasive and too powerful and too destructive not to explore again and again.
EPILOGUE – Who would cut out their eyes so that they cannot see? Who would close their eyes so that they are unable to see? Who would shut down their senses so that they cannot perceive? Every time we become self-righteous, we close our emotional eyes, our mental eyes, and our spiritual eyes. Although our physical eyes are wide open, we are unable to see.
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