rick
dr rick
"Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves." — Carl Jung
One very valuable way to be mindful of our process is to look at our relationships. Our friends (and indeed everyone in our lives) act as a sort of mirror, showing us parts of ourselves. What’s usually pretty obvious is what we have in common with others, i.e., we both like to go running, or have the same taste in movies, etc.
But if you look a little deeper into this “mirror,” you’ll notice, for instance, that this friend annoys you when he’s short-tempered. And upon reflection, your own temper is something you dislike in yourself. Or this other person’s jealousy bothers you, as does your own. Or these people have a lot of money and irritatingly show it off. Perhaps you don’t like the “show off” part of yourself. Another friend tends to see the good in people, mirroring something you’re working on.
How do others push your buttons? How do they show you yourself? This is how everyone you meet offers you one more little gift of insight.