When We Justify Ourselves (and Stop Growing)

I brought groceries with a ton of unintended, unnecessary snacks that I didn’t plan to buy. The result? Buyer’s remorse and unpleasant guilt.

Now I’m busy justifying it to myself how the stuff that I bought is valuable although deep inside … I know that it’s not.

Embarrassing – but guilt accepted.

Though, this makes me want to bring up another point.

Isn’t justification common in several aspects of life?

We do things that we didn’t intend to – that makes us feel foolish and reveals what we did wrong.

But because our ego doesn’t let us swallow our pride, we justify whatever we do instead of accepting our faults.

Unfortunately, this puts an end to any chances of reflection and growth. So, what’s an alternative to justifying the wrong things?

Surrendering …

… to the truth, to the feelings and admitting that you’ve faltered, and you’ll do the right things the next time. I’d rather be corrected than walk around with my ignorance for the sake of believing that I’m right.

The willingness to change, combined with the humility to accept one’s flaws, cultivates more opportunities for growth.

Unfortunately, we kill our chances when we’re too busy justifying ourselves and making our wrongs look right. Doesn’t moving on help equally?