Shadow / MisuseDiscernmentIntermediate

Spiritual Narcissism

Using spiritual progress as material for ego inflation.

Advanced definition

A predictable hazard of any long path. The personality begins to measure itself against others on a spiritual scoreboard, which is the precise opposite of the realization the practice is supposed to produce.

Healthy application

If your practice produces a self that is harder to live with, the practice is not working — regardless of the spiritual altitude claimed.

For reflection

"Has my practice made me kinder to the cashier, or only more interesting to myself?"

Related terms

Spiritual Bypass
Using spiritual concepts to avoid feelings, responsibility, or needed practical work.
Fruit Testing
Evaluating a teaching by its long-term effects on behavior and character.
Humility
Accurate sizing of self relative to the whole.