Protecting ourselves from our own insecurities.

Projection and attack are inevitably related, because projection is always a means of justifying attack. Anger without projection is impossible. The ego uses projection only to destroy your perception of both yourself and your brothers. The process begins by excluding something that exists in you but which you do not want, and leads directly to excluding you from your brothers. T-6.I.3:5-8

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

“I might be bad but I’m not as bad as them.” When we say this we feel better. However, our altered better mood is based on separation and exclusion which is based on an illusion which is false and at a deep seated, often unconscious level, causes guilt. The guilt contributes to our acting out even further against ourselves and others.

In Unitarian Universalism some of us covenant together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and the encouragement to spiritual growth. The application of this principle requires that we give up our judgemental attitudes.

Today it is suggested that we catch ourselves before we criticize others and put them down or push them away so that we can protect ourselves from our own insecurities.