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Other People's Blessings


Lil Red

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by Simcha Fischer, posted at the National Catholic Register.  I know I am bad about being grumpy with other people's blessings, and I really need to work on it. I thought this was a good article for phatmassers as well. A little snippet of the article:

 

Lately, I am starting to realize that there's a companion skill that needs developing: not rolling one's eyes at another person's joy. 

 

I'll continue using the example of NFP to explain what I mean. I've had to remind myself, over and over again, that couples who really do love NFP aren't just lying. The "Oh, how I love the monthly cycle of courtship and honeymoon!" crowd haven't drunk any Kool-Aid. They're not necessarily undersexed, brainwashed saps who have never encountered true suffering.

 

They're just different from me, and if I expect them to respect my struggles, then I need to learn to respect their joy.

 

Why is this so hard?  Well, it's hard to accept it when I can't have what I want. One way to persuade myself that I'm going to be okay is to persuade myself that I wouldn't really want that thing, anyway. It's a common defense mechanism, and, like all sins, it says much more about me than about the person it's directed toward. 

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brandelynmarie

I call that sin "the sour grapes syndrome" & I have been so guilty of it as of late...And social media is not helping whatsoever :( :punchout:

Edited by brandelynmarie
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Ash Wednesday

Thank you for posting this. I certainly know we have both discussed feeling anger at the blessing and misfortunes of others and what seems fair, or unfair -- so I really enjoyed this article.
 
Feelings of resentment towards others that comes about from comparing lives and situations is normal and natural. I think the problem comes about when we let it take hold of us and we carry it with us all the time, because in the end, if we hold onto that resentment -- it just brings us down. One of my favorite quotes from the bible is Proverbs 14:30: "A tranquil mind gives life to the body, but jealousy rots the bones."

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