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The Arrogance Feature The
Arrogance Feature
BY PHILLIP WITTMEYER
People with this Feature, from the time they are young, are
likely to believe they are destined for greatness. They feel they are not just
another ordinary person: they think they are extraordinary. They tend to think
they are a superior breed of human, not subject to the same imperfections as
other "common" people. They may believe they are blessed with good
luck. They have an exaggerated sense of their own importance, perceiving
themselves as noble and grand, and feeling they are beyond and above the normal
and average. They fancy that they will make a significant contribution to the
world, and they have an unrealistic evaluation of their abilities, talents,
intelligence, and other gifts — they see themselves as better than they really
are. They have a desire to excel at whatever they do. They can be pretentious,
haughty, snobbish, pompous, lofty, and conceited. This shows even in the way
they carry themselves — with an upright posture, and in the way they walk —
with a swagger.
The fear that drives Arrogance is the fear of vulnerability.
Arrogant people do not want to admit to themselves that they are imperfect, nor
do they want others to discover it. Rarely do they apologize for their mistakes.
They have a need to avoid embarrassment and humiliation, because these things
obviously show their faults. This is the reason the Arrogant are shy. Arrogant
people avoid situations where they know they cannot excel. They are reluctant to
try things that they know they will not do well. They perfect their stuff in
private before they do it in public. They stick to the things they do well, and
continue to perfect them.
In the Positive Pole of +Pride, there is pride in themselves,
in what they do, and in what they think. They dress and groom well. They do good
work. They have a high opinion of themselves. In this there is no comparison
with others, just a feeling that they are good people, and they want others to
praise them as being good people. They see themselves as virtuous, but others
see them as self-righteous. They expect a lot of themselves, and try to live up
to their self-image of greatness, perfection, and righteousness. If it should be
pointed out that there is some imperfection in them, they will find a
justification or excuse for it.
In the Negative Pole of -Vanity, there is a feeling of
superiority over others. They automatically assume that others are lesser beings
than themselves. Everything they do is to prove their superiority. They brag on
themselves, and they belittle others and treat them as inferiors. Others around
the vain person need not expect any compliments or praise. To do so would
acknowledge them as equals or superiors. Because they expect so much of
themselves, they expect so much of others also, to be worthy of praise. They
have a highhanded way they treat other people that says "I'm better than
you". Their actions say, "I know what is for your own good more than
you do". This is presumptuousness. They automatically think their opinions
are better than others, that they are smarter, stronger, more accurate, more
knowledgeable than others, and so on — better in every way. The way to
overcome -Vanity is to contemplate and apply the Positive Pole of the
Complementary Feature, +Humility. Realize that we are all just struggling human
beings, and none of us deserves to feel superior. Vain people try to
"outshine" others. If someone tells a joke, they want to tell a better
joke. If someone has a fast car, they want a faster car.
Arrogance is the counterpart of the Priest Role, so Arrogant
people see themselves as Priests: interpreters and conveyors of divinity. They
feel that they are in an exalted state of consciousness. They feel it is their
mission to extend forgiveness to the wretched sinners all around them. They feel
they are enlightened and inspired to preach on righteousness. They view
themselves as godlike. Arrogant people always want to be admired. In the most
extreme form, the Arrogant one wants to be worshipped.
Arrogant people are not interested in ordinary things. They
prefer great and grand issues — things of cosmic significance. Petty and
common things are beneath their dignity, too insignificant for them to be
concerned with. They resent it when the little problems of daily life take away
their attention from their grandiose projects. They feel they are above the
problems that beset others. They feel bad things cannot happen to them.
Sometimes they feel that they are not subject even to the laws of nature. They
feel that the needs which drive ordinary people have no pull on them.
Arrogance is the Complementary opposite of the Lowliness
Feature. Arrogant people lack +Humility and -Abasement. Rarely do they feel
sorry for themselves. They are not apologetic about anything. In fact, they may
be pitiless toward the suffering of others, because they are not attuned to
their own suffering like Lowly people. Where Lowly people express their
mediocrity and disgrace, Arrogant people brag on their great accomplishments.
Both Self-Deprecation and Arrogance make a person very
status-conscious. Both types of people are concerned with where they rank
compared to others. "What is my elevation — am I high or low? What is my
scale — am I big or small. What is my value — am I quality or not? What is
my grade — am I fine or coarse?" The lesson to be learned from this is
that we are neither better nor worse than others, neither higher nor lower,
neither richer nor poorer, neither more righteous nor more wicked. We are all
equal.
Next
page | Self-Destruction
.....................................................................................................................................
Phil Wittmeyer is a longtime Michael student and scholar of the teachings.
He can be reached at:
wittmeyer@hotmail.com
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