I had an encounter this morning with one of those people who feels the need to point out every mistake anyone makes, who demeans anyone expressing an opposing opinion to theirs, and generally must put everyone down to make themselves feel good. It's challenging sometimes to ignore people like this. But, every interaction gives us an opportunity to learn. If you recall from our conversation on swadhyaya, the study of sacred texts includes studying people.
Imagine the state of this person's mind. Constantly seeking out other's faults must be exhausting! This kind of person is continuously feeding their ego and in return is cultivating an increasingly negative attitude. As their negative attitude grows, so does their desire to bring others down to their level. Do not engage with these people! "Forget the shortcomings of other people and work to improve yourself first." Even when you know you're right! =)
The moral of this story - take this kind of interaction as a chance to learn about and improve yourself. Do not try to improve them, that's their job.
Quotation from Tirisula Yoga, Yoga Philosophy Manual.
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