It is part of human nature to want to look our best. It is why many of us work so hard on the exterior of our homes and why our young Aaronic Priesthood brethren make sure every hair is in place, just in case they run into that special someone. There is nothing wrong with shining our shoes, smelling our best, or even hiding the dirty dishes before the home teachers arrive. However, when taken to extremes, this desire to impress can shift from useful to deceitful.
When I read that paragraph, that last sentence of the paragraph stood out to me. He noted that the "desire to impress" others could shift "from useful to deceitful," implying that, before it was "taken to extremes," the desire to impress others was "useful." How could such a desire be useful? If all it does is encourage us to appear to be better than we are, then isn't the desire already deceitful?
Perhaps this desire was meant to do more than get us to put our best foot forward. Perhaps it can do more than fuel our pride or put on a show. After all, appearing good in front of others isn't deceitful if we actually are that good. But if we really are that good, then we'd be that good whether we're trying to impress anyone or not. If we already are as good as we'd like to appear to be, then how would the desire to impress come into play? And if we're not as good as we would like to appear to be, how would the desire to appear better help?
If we're already as good as we'd like to be and as we'd like others to think we are, I'm not sure how a desire to impress others would help us, but I'm not sure I know anyone that's already that good. If we're not as good as we'd like to appear to be, then our desire to impress others can motivate us, not just to appear better, but to actually become better. Our desire to impress can encourage us not just to cover our faults, but to actually correct them.
Thus, surprisingly, our ego, a manifestation of pride, which President Benson described as "the universal sin, the great vice," can actually help us to fulfill one of the main purposes of life by helping us to improve ourselves. We can become better people by letting our desire to impress others persuade us to actually become impressive. Such progress may be born out of a desire to look good, but if that desire truly helps us become better than we were, then I'd say that the desire is probably good, too.
Perhaps this desire was meant to do more than get us to put our best foot forward. Perhaps it can do more than fuel our pride or put on a show. After all, appearing good in front of others isn't deceitful if we actually are that good. But if we really are that good, then we'd be that good whether we're trying to impress anyone or not. If we already are as good as we'd like to appear to be, then how would the desire to impress come into play? And if we're not as good as we would like to appear to be, how would the desire to appear better help?
If we're already as good as we'd like to be and as we'd like others to think we are, I'm not sure how a desire to impress others would help us, but I'm not sure I know anyone that's already that good. If we're not as good as we'd like to appear to be, then our desire to impress others can motivate us, not just to appear better, but to actually become better. Our desire to impress can encourage us not just to cover our faults, but to actually correct them.
Thus, surprisingly, our ego, a manifestation of pride, which President Benson described as "the universal sin, the great vice," can actually help us to fulfill one of the main purposes of life by helping us to improve ourselves. We can become better people by letting our desire to impress others persuade us to actually become impressive. Such progress may be born out of a desire to look good, but if that desire truly helps us become better than we were, then I'd say that the desire is probably good, too.
3 comments:
In a form of a desire to impress, I sometimes make better choices than I might otherwise be inclined to out of desire not to embarrass myself or my family/friends.
We have been counseled to clean up and beautify our surroundings (another one of my weaknesses), so we don't just do it to impress. Taking care of our home/yard is obeying prophetic counsel.
It sounds like you think the only way to impress others is to "appear to be better than we are". Everyone has good qualities and we all look better when we are clean and dressed nicely. It's not deceitful to strive to be your best, and it's only prideful when you are doing it to try to be better than others.
Remember that being proud of yourself or others is different than the way the word pride is used in the scriptures. In the scriptures and President Benson's talk, pride is about enmity; which is "the state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile to someone or something"*. It is thinking that you are better than someone else, or thinking that you know better than God, and don't need to follow his laws.
I don't think that wanting other people to think well of you is bad, unless you value their opinion higher than God's. We feel good when we give or receive compliments. It is a way of showing love to others.
If you are working to be your best (with or without the hope that others will think well of you), you are following Heavenly Father's plan. Isn't one of the reasons we live righteously to please our Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ, and show love for them? In the creation, each day he looked at his works, and said that it was good. We can also recognize and find joy in the good in ourselves and the work that we do; whether it is spiritual or temporal, serious or for fun.
*definition via google.com
Perhaps a useful desire to impress could mean acting as the city set on a hill, or a light on a candle stick; as we impress others with our good works, words, and looks, we can draw them to Christ and the tree of life, helping them to partake of salvation and attendant blessings.
Post a Comment