In the last little bit we’ve been subjected to lots of signs that famous people tend to fall into the trap of self-importance (or, is it a requirement to be self-important to run for office or seek the limelight?). What signs do I refer to?
- Taking pictures of certain body parts and emailing them to others
- Having no apparent qualms about serial cheating while in the limelight
- Declaring, “Do you know who I am?” and believing that if the other person did realize the importance of the person, that they would give better treatment or allow the famous person off the hook
But we too suffer from the same struggle of self-importance. While I’ve never thought someone would treat me better if they realized my greatness and I’ve never thought it would be cool to send a risqué pic of myself to someone, I have thought, “How dare you treat me this way! I deserve better than this!”
Or how about these ones:
- inching your bumper so close to the car in front of you so that the car wanting to merge into your lane can’t.
- cutting in line at a store because you have to get somewhere soon
- expecting others to praise you for routine work done
- thinking that everyone is thinking about your gaffe or your entry into a room (this may be experienced as prolonged embarrassment and desires to flee)
- worrying about fairness about chores and whether you’re doing more than another
- ruminating on your unsung value to your company
What other acts of self-importance are you prone to? What do they say about your sense of self? We’d like to believe that the Congressman from New York or a drunk driving actor acting oafishly are cut from a different cloth and act in ways that you and I would never consider. But, in fact the root of their foolish behavior is (a) seeking self-importance and the acclaim of others, and (b) failing to see the value of self-denial.
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
knee jerk thoughts –
thinking yourself better, or thinking yourself worse, either way, thinking yourself important
then again, we are important (valued) to God…
Maybe the difference is perspective and focus?
thinking myself important enough to post my thoughts…
then again, thinking myself stupid and a nobody who should shut up is still thinking about self instead of where maybe or WHO I would be thinking if I had a balanced view of the importance of self.
Oh, Phil, I love how you delicately phrased this–“taking pictures of certain body parts and emailing them to others.”
I think about self-importance a lot, which could make me self-important. But I’m struggling through all the ego to remind myself over and over about God says I am. It seems that definitions that don’t match with His are faulty. It’s a tricky process.
In traffic, I let like two people get in front of me because otherwise EVERYONE tries to cut in front of me, which is fine, but it makes the motorists behind me mad as well.
Until we discover who we are in Jesus Christ, we will continue to wander through life looking for strokes, acollades, affirmation. We will never be satisfied with what others are able to offer us … and sadly, sooner or later we will drive them far from us with our demanding, endless neediness.