My blog today is not for everyone. It’s only for two kinds of people:

  • It’s for people who want to actually experience success in this life rather than just talk about it all the time.
  • It’s for people who recognize that the biggest key to living a happy life is to maintain positive, healthy, mutually beneficial relationships with other people.

So, do you fit into either of these categories? If you do, I want to encourage you to ask yourself a very important question today: Am I self-sabotaging?

To be even more specific, I believe we all need to ask ourselves: Is it possible that I might have some psychological blind spots?

You see, it’s our psychological blind spots that allow us to remain oblivious to certain aspects of our personality that are obvious to everyone around us. More often than not, these aspects of our personality that we don’t seem to be able or willing to recognize are problematic rather than helpful.

  • People with psychological blind spots keep making the same mistakes over and over again without ever accepting responsibility for them.
  • People with psychological blind spots keep behaving in ways that push most people away from them.
  • People with psychological blind spots keep sabotaging their own success.

Now, many psychologists will argue that if we possess a psychological blind spot, it’s not because we can’t see the truth about ourselves; it’s because we don’t want to. This is why, when the Bible talks about people with psychological blind spots, it doesn’t refer to them as victims, but as “fools” or “mockers”!

The Book of Proverbs contains a whole slew of passages that describe the fool as a person who simply doesn’t want to know the truth about themselves or anything else for that matter.

Here, see if you discern the point being made in these various passages:

The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice. (Proverbs 12:15)

The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. (Proverbs 15:14)

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. (Proverbs 18:2)

Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words. (Proverbs 23:9)

Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Proverbs 26:12)

He who trusts in himself is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe. (Proverbs 28:26)

Do you get the idea being presented in these pasages?

The fool is the person who is not open to hearing or learning from anyone else. The fool is content to have his or her blind spots. The fool is someone who simply doesn’t care about the truth.

At the risk of being a bit too thorough in this blog, I will press on to point out that the Book of Proverbs also refers to the person with a psychological blind spot as a “mocker.” Like the fool, the mocker is not open to learning anything from anyone else.

Take a look at a few more passages that describe the self-destructive behavior of the mocker:

Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse. (Proverbs 9:7)

A wise son heeds his father’s instruction, but a mocker does not listen to rebuke. (Proverbs 13:1)

A mocker resents correction; he will not consult the wise. (Proverbs 15:12)

The proud and arrogant man–” Mocker” is his name; he behaves with overweening pride. (Proverbs 21:24)

Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. (Proverbs 22:10)

The schemes of folly are sin, and men detest a mocker. (Proverbs 24:9)

Did you notice how that, according to these passages, the mocker succeeds in alienating himself or herself from nearly everyone around him or her?

How about it? Do you think you know of anyone who might qualify as a mocker?

With that thought in mind, let me encourage you not to make the mistake of thinking that we are talking about ignorant, uneducated people. Many foolish people are anything but ignorant or uneducated. The fact is that it’s possible to be very well educated and still be a fool.

A minister, a Boy Scout, and a computer executive were flying to a meeting in a small private plane. About halfway to their destination, the pilot came back and announced that the plane was going to crash and that there were only three parachutes and four people.

The pilot said, “I’m going to use one of the parachutes because I have a wife and four small children,” and he jumped.

The computer executive said, “I should have one of the parachutes because I’m the smartest man in the world and my company needs me,” and he jumped.

The minister turned to the Boy Scout and, smiling sadly, said, “You’re young and I’ve lived a good, long life, so you take the last parachute and I’ll go down with the plane.”

The Boy Scout said, “Relax, Reverend, the smartest man in the world just strapped on my backpack and jumped out of the plane!”

Commenting on this joke, psychologist Les Parrott III writes:

          “A high IQ has never guaranteed good decisions. No matter how superior one’s intelligence, even a genius may not see what’s obvious to others. One need not look far to find breathtaking acts of stupidity committed by people who are smart. You may be quick-witted, clever, and intellectually brilliant but these enviable traits don’t ensure wise judgments or accurate assessments, especially about oneself.”

In this quote Dr. Parrott seems to be referring to blind spots. How do I know?

I know because the quote doesn’t stop there; he goes on to say . . .

          “Blind spots. We all have them. Research has shown that we don’t know ourselves as well as we think we do. Psychological blind spots keep us from seeing the truth. They distort our perceptions, trick our reality, and feed us misinformation. Like the physical blind spots in automobiles, our personal blind spots steer us into danger if we’re not careful.”

So, what do we do about our blind spots? Dr. Parrott concludes this discussion by saying:

           “This is why discovering your blind spots is key to making good decisions. Ask for input. Have a confidant show you what you don’t see. It’s not easy work, but the payoffs are certainly sweet. It heightens your self-awareness, lowers your stress, revolutionizes your relationships, and frees your spirit for optimal fulfillment.”             

According to Dr. Parrott, the key to eliminating our blind spots is to proactively seek some quality input from some people you believe you can trust. The Bible says essentially the same thing:

Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. (Proverbs 27:6, emphasis added)

Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one’s friend springs from his earnest counsel. (Proverbs 27:9, emphasis added)

As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17, emphasis added)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom … (Colossians 3:16, emphasis added)

speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:15, emphasis added)

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24, emphasis added)

I want to end this blog encouraging you to ask yourself another question or two:

  • Do I have any confidants—close spiritual friends—I can trust to help me see the truth about myself, things I haven’t wanted to see?
  • Will I actually do it? Will I open myself up to the truth no matter how painful a process this might be?

I can pretty much guarantee that this process of self-discovery will be painful. This is why the philosopher Socrates once said:

 

“Let him who would move the world first move himself.” 

—       Socrates

And why the philosopher Plato once observed:

“Self conquest is the greatest of all victories.”

—       Plato

Make no mistake, this business of eliminating our blind spots is hard, painful labor. But, let me assure you, Jesus will help you through this learning experience no matter how painful it may be. Just ask Peter or any of the other disciples … except Judas.

What I’m trying to say is that because we are whole, integrated beings our psychological health is important to Jesus. If we let Him, He can and will help us all cease our self-sabotaging. The next move is ours.

Something to think about.