Chapter 62: The priests of the monastery

When ordained a monk must be careful to avoid a spirit of self-importance or pride and he must avoid taking on himself any duties to which the abbot has not assigned him. (From para. 1 of Ch. 62 of Saint Benedict's Rule, trans. by Patrick Barry, OSB, 1997.)

I don't think I've ever been more aware that I'm living in a culture of narcissism, as "political correctness" seems to veer into to reckless and stigmatizing verbal blaming games. And I realize that narcissism is, at heart, bullying --  trying to intimidate others into bolstering one's own self-image. I feel that it's never been a more important time for me to listen and speak to others, without a spirit of self-importance, but with the clear vision of selfless attention.