Self-Pity as Narcotic

I gotta agree with David Powlison here:

“Feeling sorry for yourself is one of the strongest, most addictive narcotics known to man. It feels so good to feel so bad. Self-pity arises so easily, seems so plausible, and proves so hard to shake off.”

Sadly, the reason I agree with this is that I know it well from personal experience.

Comments

[John Thomson]

I agree, yet it must be resisted and mortified. I have been troubled by chronic illness in life. If I gave into self-pity life would be intolerable. Self-pity is a luxury available for transitory difficulties only. If indulged in longer term difficulties it is destructive.

[Lesley Bateman]

Easy to do, yes. I remember a profound quote from a somewhat silly show, Ally McBeal, when she was asked why her problems seemed so much greater than everyone elses...to which she replied, "Because they are MY problems." So true.

I do laugh at the so-called American version of Christianity which somehow excludes the concept of suffering.

[Rick Ritchie]

When I'm attacked by self-pity, I find it to be pretty resistant to argument. I have to try something a little less direct, like distraction. Music works well. A shift of attention to something beautiful. Or what is often more effective, heroic. (My Summon the Heroes CD is a great collection of such.)