The Diseases of “Self”
Ron Guerriero
President @ Guerriero Associates | Change agent, marketing strategy, corporate renewal. Also, after 50+ years of continuous sobriety, writing to leverage that experience for the benefit of anyone.
Self-righteousness
One of the diseases of self is self-righteousness. Among others are self-centeredness, selfishness, and self-will.
Self-righteousness is the belief that one's own morals and beliefs are superior to those of others. Self-righteous people may also be described as sanctimonious, holier-than-thou. They may be intolerant of the opinions and behaviors of others that they consider less virtuous.?
Self-righteous people may also have an isolationist tendency, meaning they prefer to function independently and disregard the value of shared experiences
A self-righteous person is somebody who thinks very highly of their own morality; of their own opinion. This person thinks he/she can do no wrong, and goes about with a "holier-than-thou" attitude, judging and scrutinizing everyone else.
What are the signs of a self-righteous person?
People with self-righteous tendencies often direct their focus outward, examining and critiquing the behavior of others rather than introspecting on their actions and motivations. They tend to judge righteousness based on external appearances and actions, ignoring the importance of inner character and integrity.
General arrogance is excessive self-assurance coupled with being dismissive of others. Self-righteousness is arrogance centered on being morally better than others.
In the Context of Addiction
For many people addicted to alcohol and/or other mind-altering substances, there is a certain amount of self-righteousness, most often coupled with other “self” issues such as being self-centered, selfish, and self-willed.??
Self-righteous Anger
Self-righteous anger is anger that is primarily concerned with a personal offense, and can be seductive and pleasurable. People who are self-righteously angry may feel wronged and justify temper tantrums as reasonable responses, even when damaged relationships result. They may also express to others and to themselves that they are in the right, and one or more others are wrong. (For more on this see Dr. Patrick Keelan, The Siren Song of Self-righteous Anger).
There is a solution
For addicts, any of these ‘diseases of self’ that I write about are tricky and potentially dangerous. They can feed an emotional storm that leads to consuming alcohol and/or other mind-altering substances.?
The solution, a roadmap to changing this person is laid out in the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Here, we learn how to change the person who has ‘crashed and burned’ through the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. Here we learn to take the focus away from self and begin to learn how to care for loved ones and friends.