"Who can understand the human heart? There is nothing else so deceitful; it is too sick to be healed" (Jeremiah 17:9). We often unintentionally choose good ways to reach evil and evil ways to reach good. Our heart tricks us at times. We are confused between good and evil. Even if our intention is to do good for our society, we usually end up forgetting the society and doing good for ourselves; we make sure that our “name is up there.” Why is this?
The I factor
We think that if things were done by us, it would be better. This is because we are prone to excessive pride. We become so proud of ourselves that we don't even think about the people around us. We disrespect people and become arrogant. We think that our parents are senseless. Our siblings are dumb and friends are stupid. “When you have a distorted view of yourself, such as through excessive pride or arrogance, because of these states of mind, you have an exaggerated sense of your qualities and personal abilities” Dalai Lama. We forget about our actual abilities and self assure ourselves that we are capable of much more than our abilities.Why do we spend so much time in front of the mirror fixing up our hair or putting on makeup? I know a friend who combs his hair at least three times in one hour. Why is he so concerned about himself? His hair has to be in a way that he desires. If not, he would be always worried about going in front of the mirror and fixing it up. We are tuned in such a way that if we "look good," we are confident. We can go out there and do anything. And of course we need this confidence in us. Only if we are confident, our self-esteem will increase and we will have faith in ourselves.
So we can be "proud" up to a certain extend while we make sure that we don't exaggerate our actual abilities.
Pride cheats our heart. "Your arrogance has deceived you. You live on rocky cliffs. You make your home up high. You say to yourself, 'No one can bring me down to earth." (Obadiah 1:3). Thus we have to be aware of who we are in reality and not let our heart cheat us. Our heart is too weak that if we do not obtain the wisdom to differentiate good intentions from bad ones we will never find satisfaction in our lives.
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions” Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
