standards

here's something i found in my journal from last summer...

few people will admit that their standards are lower than those of others. there's something about our standards that we link to our rank or status in this world. if i have high standards, then it suggests that i know what is good and what is not. and if i have higher standards than those around me, then it must mean that i am better than them. a) i must know more than them, and b) it takes more to satisfy or please me - even if i don't hold myself to the same high standards in the things i do.

it's interesting how we can elevate our own status through being unhappy and disappointed. i would argue that having higher standards doesn't necessarily mean you're a more evolved person - it just means you're more likely to be miserable.

i think it's like what anton ego says at the end of the movie "ratatouille":

In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so.

he's saying that being a critic is low risk because you can puff yourself up without ever offering anything up. you don't have to put yourself out there. you just have to declare your own disappointment. if you want to get a good example of how this works, simply tune in when they televise question period (government).

now, this isn't a condemnation of standards. nor is it an invitation to be blase about everything or to settle for mediocrity. but just to be aware of how and why we critique.

the best example of this is, naturally, God himself. He's got the highest standards of all: absolute perfection. after all, He is perfect. but in His perfection, he introduces grace and love. so He still has his high standards, but instead of disdaining us or succumbing to that very human trap called pride, He patiently and lovingly works with us to help us improve. sure, He gets frustrated and angry when we don't meet His standards. but it's more likely to test His patience when we simply don't care.

so the next time something doesn't match up to my expectations, i pray that i'll remember the grace and patience that i've been afforded so i, in turn, can extend the same grace to others.