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[Joseph]

Okay, recently I have gotten a lot of feedback from people around me like this: you seem to be better than everyone else. I just had a conversation with a parishioner who said "you remind me of my sister who thinks she is better than everyone else.". That phrase actually came out of nowhere. It is almost a logical non-sequiter. I was like, okay that's it....I have a problem.

I am taking it very seriously. Nobody has said that to me before, and I have never been aware of having that problem. I have never been humble but nobody has said I am stuck up either. I am who I am. That has been the case until recently.

I have heard people say that the spiritual quest can be a disguised form of ego. The ego wants to feel superior so that ego embarks on this spiritual journey in order to be better than everyone else. Spirituality can be a place where the ego hides behind.

I just wonder how do I deal with this problem? Thanks

[Gooseone]

Simple . don't make a problem out of it
You can always try to analyse oneself as to why people get a certain idea to learn from , taking in the opinions of others should not be a big concern tho
Seeing you are reacting to it you might consider asking yourself why , is it a reverse ego trap ?
Like : "Oh no , but i always try so hard to be identified as someone who is not any better than the rest"
Only you have the answer , your surroundings can only help you as to where to look

[Seamus]

Being one who struggled most of my life with the same "problem", I can tell you that the only cure for seeing it as a problem is total trust in God.

Your ego is programmed to think it is better than everyone else. Do not be deceived. Everyone else's ego is exactly the same, for they are one.

It was created that way and you are never going to change that. The effort to change a vulture into a dove is what creates the "problem". What needs to change is the conductor of your experience. Change from being an Ego-fed observer to being a Self-fed observer, and you will be free. The only way is absolute trust in God. Forget trying to navigate your own way through life by 'discerning' what is right, and what is wrong, and 'deciding' to choose the right. That is the river that flows from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and it is a trap. The river that flows from the tree of life is acceptance of all that you are and all that life is, and trust in the One who made you. Which river you drink from is entirely up to you. The Ego will tell you that to accept yourself for what you are is the sure path to damnation. Don't believe it.

"out of his belly will flow rivers of living water"

[roage]

you seem to be better than everyone else...
I just wonder how do I deal with this problem? Thanks

The correct response is counter-intuitive and I will explain why.

You answer by saying: "Yes that is because I am better than everyone else!" Then you laugh like you have told a joke!

Then you ignore their reaction.

Why? Well because there are no "others" it is a trick of ego and if ego is trying to give you a complex because you are getting too close for its comfort.

It uses this acceptance "need" to manipulate you. The best thing you can do is to trust Ø and ignore these insidious ways that ego twists your self image to manipulate your behavior.

Remember enemies and friends are creation of the ego and ego is quite clever in the ways it scares you into submission.

If they knew Ø they would not say such a stupid thing in the first place.

You are superior to an ego who is afraid to allow people to know that you speak the Truth. A man or woman who is afraid will use any excuse not to listen to you.

Pay them no mind and do not get sucked into this ego trap.

[Joseph]

Forget trying to navigate your own way through life by 'discerning' what is right, and what is wrong, and 'deciding' to choose the right. That is the river that flows from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and it is a trap. The river that flows from the tree of life is acceptance of all that you are and all that life is, and trust in the One who made you.

Wow! That thing in the Bible baffled me for decades. I knew what I was taught in Sunday school is not the right meaning, but I never figured out the meaning of it no matter how hard I tried. Thanks.

There is a lot of contemplate about in this thread.

No I never actually react to it. I am still in the phase of learning and gathering information. I think the universe is trying to teach me something I didn't know about myself all the time.

[Joseph]

you seem to be better than everyone else...
I just wonder how do I deal with this problem? Thanks

The correct response is counter-intuitive and I will explain why.

You answer by saying: "Yes that is because I am better than everyone else!" Then you laugh like you have told a joke!

Then you ignore their reaction.

Why? Well because there are no "others" it is a trick of ego and if ego is trying to give you a complex because you are getting too close for its comfort.

It uses this acceptance "need" to manipulate you. The best thing you can do is to trust Ø and ignore these insidious ways that ego twists your self image to manipulate your behavior.

Remember enemies and friends are creation of the ego and ego is quite clever in the ways it scares you into submission.

If they knew Ø they would not say such a stupid thing in the first place.

You are superior to an ego who is afraid to allow people to know that you speak the Truth. A man or woman who is afraid will use any excuse not to listen to you.

Pay them no mind and do not get sucked into this ego trap.

Thanks Roage!

Something I learned recently that the ego often transmute one form of existence into another. Lately, I have not allowed the ego to manipulate me using the need for acceptance or by putting me in fear. But I think the ego transmutes its existance into something else. Perhaps the ego transmutes into "superiority". It feels superior to not giving into fear or the need for acceptance. I am not actually sure if that's actually happening to me, but at least I am aware of the possibility of transmutation.

[Seamus]

Forget trying to navigate your own way through life by 'discerning' what is right, and what is wrong, and 'deciding' to choose the right. That is the river that flows from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and it is a trap. The river that flows from the tree of life is acceptance of all that you are and all that life is, and trust in the One who made you.

Wow! That thing in the Bible baffled me for decades. I knew what I was taught in Sunday school is not the right meaning, but I never figured out the meaning of it no matter how hard I tried. Thanks.

It's one of those gems that are hidden from the learned and only revealed to (trusting) little children. It pleases God to do this.

There is a lot of contemplate about in this thread.

No I never actually react to it. I am still in the phase of learning and gathering information. I think the universe is trying to teach me something I didn't know about myself all the time.

Well, actually you do know... All creatures made in God's image know. We humans have just hidden that from ourselves in order to play out the joyous Rediscovery of Self game, A.K.A. peekaboo.

[Seamus]

Thanks Roage!

Something I learned recently that the ego often transmute one form of existence into another. Lately, I have not allowed the ego to manipulate me using the need for acceptance or by putting me in fear. But I think the ego transmutes its existance into something else. Perhaps the ego transmutes into "superiority". It feels superior to not giving into fear or the need for acceptance. I am not actually sure if that's actually happening to me, but at least I am aware of the possibility of transmutation.

You're seeing more clearly. Fear transmutes to pride, which is why you have gotten the 'superiority' comments. You are maybe getting the upper hand on fear, but....
Pride and worthlessness, two sides of the same coin... worthlessness causes us to fear rejection, pride causes us to disdain others. Both are functions of Ego maintaining its illusion of control. Social hierarchy implies control. Rank implies control.

[Nect4r$]

Pride is one of the biggest blocks to growth I've found and like Seamus experienced I've had serious problems with it for a while(spiritual pride to be exact). What I've found recently here though is something which all other methods I've tried have failed to point out even though they get the scale of growth right. That being that from an ego perspective we can only approach Ø as an ego which forces the Trust issue.

To consider Pride as a kind of energy field(or state) created by the ego, it turns out to just be another step on the "ladder of growth", with the one directly above it being "Courageousness". How I've been dealing with(and using) this is moving "into a state" of courageousness through Trust in the Ø while realizing that I, the ego, have no control anyway which forces a surrendering of the percieved illusion of control to Ø. This also seems to open up intuitive responses I'd never have considered a moment before -even though they may look counter intuitive in hindsight. Eg: as Roage stated, I've found myself asserting certain things to people I'd have previously not have felt able to, or that I felt it was "wrong" to, even though they "seemed" true. Once trust in Ø is there in the moment these things seem to present the truth of themselves much more accurately.

Ace thread

[Joseph]

Pride is one of the biggest blocks to growth I've found and like Seamus experienced I've had serious problems with it for a while(spiritual pride to be exact). What I've found recently here though is something which all other methods I've tried have failed to point out even though they get the scale of growth right. That being that from an ego perspective we can only approach Ø as an ego which forces the Trust issue.

To consider Pride as a kind of energy field(or state) created by the ego, it turns out to just be another step on the "ladder of growth", with the one directly above it being "Courageousness". How I've been dealing with(and using) this is moving "into a state" of courageousness through Trust in the Ø while realizing that I, the ego, have no control anyway which forces a surrendering of the percieved illusion of control to Ø. This also seems to open up intuitive responses I'd never have considered a moment before -even though they may look counter intuitive in hindsight. Eg: as Roage stated, I've found myself asserting certain things to people I'd have previously not have felt able to, or that I felt it was "wrong" to, even though they "seemed" true. Once trust in Ø is there in the moment these things seem to present the truth of themselves much more accurately.

Ace thread

Sorry this one lost on me. I do want to know what you are saying. Explain if you can. Thanks.