Reddit reviews More Than Allegory: On Religious Myth, Truth And Belief

Feelings of resentment, judgement and feeling judged are generally a result of comparing ourselves to others and perceiving some unfairness. Our natural tendency to make this comparison has been exploited and amplified by advertisers and politicians, encouraging us to resent our neighbours' success and desire what they have over what we have ourselves. We're persuaded to work shitty jobs to buy endless versions of the same product and tonnes of plastic crap solely on the grounds that everyone has it, playing on the fear that not having the very latest version marks us out as less successful, less discerning, or just lazy.

It's a trap that's hard to get out of, but a good start is to stop comparing yourself to other people. We are not all the same, we don't all want the same things, so why should we judge ourselves or anyone else on where they work, what they choose to own or how they choose to live? If someone's judgement of you is based on a standard you don't recognise, you don't have feel the sting of it; their opinion is based on faulty logic.

Concentrate on what you have, and work on feeling genuine gratitude. We all have much more than we think. The world is very beautiful, but we rarely notice because we've been convinced other things are better and more important. Spend time just looking, listening and feeling, just being in the world - it's actually quite a friendly place if you approach it with friendly openness rather than fear and suspicion.

Another antidote is to stop taking things personally. People are sometimes rude, unkind or unpleasant without meaning to be, or because they're in pain or under stress. It's not really aimed at you, you just happen to be there - it's not personal. We have all, at one time or another taken our pain and problems out on others, even those closest to us. So even if a criticism is well aimed from someone you love, you can ask yourself first how that person might be feeling; are they lashing out from their own pain? Do they mean to hurt you? Is it possible they are actually trying to help by pointing out something that concerns them? Consider these things before you react, and much unnecessary pain can be avoided.

Once you get into the habit of asking these questions you'll start to notice how prone people are to taking personally things that in reality have very little to do with them, how quick we are to turn misunderstanding into offense and insult without a second thought, and how, feeling somehow diminished by it, we pass it on by taking our anger out on the next person in line. And how you can break that chain by not taking it personally.

Lastly, seek out new ways of looking at the world, different ways to assign meaning and value. The wider your perspective, the more flexible your thinking, the easier it is to empathise, to see the reality of other people's lives, and the harder it becomes to resent what they have or pass judgement, on them or on yourself.

Try this, for a mythological/metaphorical perspective.

If you haven't, read Bernardo Kastrup's More Than Allegory. A very similar "parable" (in part three) to what you are describing. Plus, its a pretty great book, regardless.

https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Allegory-Religious-Belief/dp/1785352873%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduckduckgo-d-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3D1785352873

See also https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Allegory-Religious-Belief/dp/1785352873