When I was brainstorming and collecting ideas for this blog, I stumbled on this one and felt pretty good about myself. I figured it was a great thing that other people (not me) needed to read. After a few days, I realized just how wrong I was as this idea started painfully calling me out. It still hits me upside the head every once in a while whenever I need a reality check. So proceed carefully. You really can’t go back.
“Only 1% of people can solve this puzzle!” It’s easy for us to see this kind of advertisement for what it really is. We can tell it’s appealing to our pride, so we reject the temptation to feel smug and we move on with our day. However, it’s seldom that easy. More often, it sneaks right past our guard and into our hearts. It’s so dangerous that, in my opinion, it’s the root of almost every human problem. The issue is that we love to feel superior to other people. We interpret every new fact in a way that makes us feel superior to others, either by elevating ourselves or by putting other people down. Whenever I fall for this temptation, it gives me such a rush of pleasure. If I see a Facebook post “Share if you love Jesus” my first temptation will be to feel better than the “manipulative” creator of the post. The second temptation, the “naive” friend who posted. The third, the other million “stupid” people who shared it. The more temptations I fall for, the more groups I can stereotype, the better I feel. This is just like the “1%” advertisement, can you see it? Someone benefits from us feeling superior (besides the creator who wanted likes.) It’s Satan. He wins when we stroke our egos.
The issue is that we love to feel superior to other people. We interpret every new fact in a way that makes us feel superior to others, either by elevating ourselves or by putting other people down.
One more, that really gets me, is daydreams, where I imagine an interesting world or how I’d respond to a certain situation. In every situation, I’m only superior to everyone else, and that makes daydreams, stupid as they are, so attractive. Sometimes I’ll have an argument in my head, where I’m amazing and my opponent makes a fool of themselves. With each imagined comeback I’m in a revolting ecstasy.
Each of these examples is meant to show something normal and relatable. At their core is the superiority that makes them appealing. However, it’s that same superiority that makes it a problem for us to indulge ourselves in. So, why tell you this? Because, in addition to a problem, there’s a solution. There’s a litmus test that can check if our actions are unhealthy for ourselves and others. If your action brings you pleasure, and you realize that’s the pleasure of feeling superior, it’s probably stemming from an unhealthy place. If your Facebook post knocks another group, and you’re glad you’re smart enough not to be in that group, don’t make the post. There are a million more examples of this I challenge you to seek out in your own life. The more you try to notice this feeling of superiority, the more you’ll be aware of it in the future.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. I’m not just pointing out another thing we suck at; there’s a bright side. If you tune yourself to noticing your pride, then you’ll be able to reject it, just like you reject the temptation to click the “1%” puzzle. I’ve stopped posting political comments if they stem from unhealthy motivations, but it just means that what I do post is genuine and loving. You’ll find that you’re able to treat people more equally, and you’re able to think of them more equally, too. This is how we’re meant to love. This is how we mold ourselves toward those impossible “love is patient, love is kind” standards in 1 Corinthians 13. It’s a painful refining process but it pays off. The first step toward a more perfect love is to notice those feelings of superiority.
Lesson: Get ready to call yourself out. When something feels good, check if you’re indulging your ego. Our ego elevates ourselves and so prevents us from viewing other people equally. If we want to love better, we need to call out our feelings of superiority.
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