Sunday, July 12, 2015

Why do we think we are always right?


In her column in the Peace Weekly the writer reminisces on the many people she has met, and lost contact with during her years of work. Of that number were some  she was able to speak to openly and frankly. She doesn't know why but  many of the relationships became awkward, and gradually the degree of coldness increased.

Just before retirement one of that group came to visit with the writer. She doesn't mention what instigated the unburdening of her pent up resentment but she fully expressed her feelings to the person. Made known her hurts, resentments, criticism, grudges-- all poured out in a short period of time, all  negative. However, she admits that the anger did not subside after it all came out. During the monologue the one-time intimate did express herself.

After retirement she did remember the words of the visitor that were expressed that day and they continued to reverberate in her head. The sentence that continued to bother her was: "Why do you  think that everything you do is right?"

When she let it all out, she also refuted this statement that was one of the retorts by the visitor and  her response did get the person to nod in agreement, but the words remained with her and continued to bother her. This is what they saw in her that prompted the estrangement: everything she thought, said and did  was seen as cold  hardheartedness by them, and now in every situation in all circumstances these words come to mind.

North and South Korea both have different understandings of the situation. The North and South have different ideologies, and is it not possible to say problems arise when we think that we always have the right answers? Isn't the  problem between the  North and South basically that each maintains they have all the answers to the problems and don't want to listen? And she concludes with the words of the Scriptures.

"Why look at the speck in your brother's eye when  you miss the plank in your own? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take that speck out of your eye while  all the time the plank remains  in your own?" (Matt. 7:3-4)