Self-Righteousness

The concept of self-righteousness goes along with "deprivation" in some ways. Frequently, when people feel like they are depriving themselves of something, they take on a self-righteous regard toward others who are not.

It's important to guard against this, because it can actually work against gratitude and positive regard for food.

Some foods aren't particularly ideal for our bodies and health (i.e. overly processed, or containing artificial colors or ingredients). But it's important to see the value in those foods anyway. If there are preservatives in it, this was done for a reason, a benefit that someone wanted at some point. After all, it is better to eat something with preservatives than to eat something rotten or stale.

When we choose to avoid unhealthy foods, it can be a "gentle" choosing. We can acknowledge what it is we might want in the unhealthy choice, and then turn calmly toward other options. This mental practice helps to integrate the competing parts of our psyche, to give voice to the part of us that remembers our delight eating Lucky Charms (or whatever) when we were a kid, and not denigrate the desires we feel there.

When we look down on a type of food, we're creating a split. Between "me" and "those who can't contain themselves", but also between "me" and "me".

I've also encountered people who have a sense of "us, as pure, wise, etc." and "them, as the masses who are willing to shovel crap into their mouths." But even looking at it from this wider cultural perspective, I feel like there's a falsity in that split.

In gratitude there's a kind of humility that's important. That we are lucky to have any food. That the preparation and care that went into what we're eating is something of value and it's not about a certain level of purity or perfection that we're trying to attain.

Well, this post is completely chaotic. It's like I have too much to say at once about this, and can't get it all into a cohesive package. This is the reason I'm blogging these ideas. Just throwing it all down. Because if I over-think, it's a barrier to even getting started. I may try to explore this topic more later and see if the ideas can gel a little bit more.