Thumbing It

Before you point the finger, pull the thumb. I was in a discussion with one of the boys last night about this. As corny as this adage may be, I really like it, consider it true, and wonder how often I/we practice this.

We are bombarded with blame these days. We have a culture of blame. It is inescapable.

There's the Political:

• It's cause there's a Democratic Congress.
• There is a vast right-wing conspiracy.

The Personal:

• Its a result of my upbringing. (I believe there are consequences and results of poor parenting choices, cultural implications, and more, but sometimes this can become a crutch)

The Professional:

• I'm just doing my job.
• They have no idea what I put up with.

The Kid Favorite:

• Everybody else does.

And many more.

How often do I/we own up? I know that on many occasions I have passed some sort of judgment or evaluation quickly—then under further analysis, wonder if I've done my end of the bargain. Have I truly set someone up for success? Have I listened along the way? Have I provided feedback? Have I considered their viewpoint? Do I know the whole story? Is my opinion the result of my upbringing and culture?

I am not a big fan of the "I" word. But, when it comes to examining ourselves I'm all for it. According to the Gospel of Matthew (7:3), "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?". And there is Michael Jackson's take. "I'm starting with the man in the mirror".