The Hyper Critical Mind
A common manifestation of anger is having an overly critical, hyper judgmental stance towards the world. In this state of mind our tolerance for people and life in general is very low, and we go through our days passing judgment on everything and everyone we encounter.
We feel that we’re smarter than other people, we think we understand how everything works, and on some level we just think we’re better than everyone. We look down on people for their lack of intelligence, and we think the world altogether is screwed up and functioning far below our level.
When we’re caught in this trap, not only are we out of sync with reality, but we are at war with everything we encounter. When this version of anger is prominent, we can go for years not even knowing we’re angry, because arrogance blinds our intelligence. When this state of mind takes an extreme form we become deeply cynical, we mistrust everything, and we may withdraw into a black cocoon of hatred.
The tight grip of a hyper critical mind comes from a lack of self-esteem. Ultimately it is our very selves we are critical of, even though we may not be aware of it. And deflecting the blame outwards helps us stay unaware, and it allows us to avoid actually dealing with our pain.
What can we do if we recognize this style of anger in ourselves? Acknowledging our deep anger and taking responsibility for it are the first steps. From there the path is wide open and involves getting in touch with ourselves at an inner level. For some exercises and guidance for the inner work, check here and here.
Our critical mind can be of great use once we free it from the tyranny of meanness and judgment. We all want to have more fulfillment in our lives and to contribute more to others. When the grip in our heart relaxes, the natural intelligence of our critical mind can start to flow generously through our life, benefiting ourselves and those around us.
