This article discusses the Augustinian method for curing self deception, an article I remembered as I read about the assassination of Bhutto in Pakistan. These days world news is full of events that shake the balance of power. Some of it is about nuclear power, some about rulers' power - from dictator to democracy, because democracy, despite some peoples' naive beliefs, is not immune from turning into a dictatorship. It only takes apathy. How anyone can remain apathetic in the face of what's going on in the world may be somewhat explained by the reflection of the lights from our latest tech gadgets. But it's a dangerous illusion to believe that our world is far from where Bhutto was assassinated.
Self deception is one of the hardest things to work with spiritually. You can't always tell what your own motivations are for what you're doing, a fact that eludes some people because the outward merit of their actions may appear unassailable. Yet it is the motive we bring that counts in our relationship both to God and others. How strong a spiritual foundation can anyone build if the motive is wrong or flawed?
None of us are always right or without fault. We can't be. It's an impossible standard. And yet, as humans, we insist on setting each other up for this fallacy by elevating people to positions that are revered and, to our detriment, relying on them to think for us. Sometimes it seems as if a novel thought causes pain to some because they want others to tell them what to think!
This, I think, feeds the self deception of the person who is elevated (who is, I'm afraid, still very human) as well as the follower (who is more capable than he or she may believe). And so we have the situation in Pakistan and the many problems in our country that apathy has allowed. We hand our power over to others and, sometimes, we abdicate our responsibility in the process.
I pray to God that the world learns more balance and that each of us has dignity and equal worth . Speaking up is the right thing to do since remaining silent in today's world is a dangerous thing - more dangerous than holding ourselves up to the ridicule or criticism of those who, perhaps blind to their own motivations and unwilling to examine them, act in ways that are not for the good of the whole and try to manipulate us into silence. Because power feeds self deceit - and finding a cure for that will take a greater miracle than any other.
[visual description: A coffin bearing the body of the slain Bhutto is carried by a crowd on the day of her death.]
4 comments:
Self deceit is one of the most prevalent traits, I think, because we're all so reluctant to appear foolish. We're almost socialized into never admitting we make a mistake these days. You make a number of good points, however, I disagree that power is inherently a part of it. I think every man and woman succumbs to self deceit and those in power are just more visible when they act foolishly.
The stakes are always higher when you put yourself out there, that's for sure. (Even blogging.) But that's why I think that power does play a part since there are more public consequences for those who have power - whether they be politicians or celebrities (or other public figures). There is always the threat of the loss of power for them as a consequence as well as the potential to misuse the power.
Having said that, however, you do raise a debatable point - these are my thoughts but I look forward to hearing others.
Thank you for the link - the article looks interesting.
I contrast the term self-deceit (which we never hear mentioned) with "denial" (which we hear often). Denial has a passive ring to it, a person has somehow stuck her or his head into the sand and needs to be awakened. Self-deceit has a more active ring: the person has at least an inkling about the problem but prefers to put a different interpretation on it that changes its reality.
That distinction may help clarify the dynamic of power. Most average folks may try to put a positive interpretation on our actions, but we don't have a cadre of followers who will mirror that spin back to us (and thus make it seem real) and also put out the same message to the world (making it real to them). A powerful person DOES have such a cadre, and can pull off self-deceit more easily.
The culture offers agents of denial (TV, video games, and various addictive diversions) to regular folks.
We probably all practice self-deceit to some extent, but its consequences are far worse when we are powerful.
Sr. Edith-
Thanks for your analysis. I've noticed that some of the rhetoric in the presidential election is a great example of this.
Of course recent world events hopefully have all of us wondering - and praying - about ways to have more discernment.
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