Harold Kushner, author of "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" remarked that when he was on the road marketing his books he often got invited to dinners held at some sponsors' homes who wanted to impress him with their spiritual knowledge and maturity. He apparently accepted it as a price to pay for his publicity, but my stomach turned when I tried imagining myself participating at these dinner discussions. And while I certainly put my heart and soul into sharing my spiritual insights with others, I would never put up with any of this stuff.
I am certainly not "holier than thou". I work as a strategist in the financial industry, which many would consider as ruthless and greedy. This is not my observation though, at least not at the place where I work. You do meet a lot of depressed and grumpy people; you certainly meet some big egos but "falsehood" is something that is simply out of place. Only when you are brutally honest with yourself can you survive the pressure of the fittest. I am actually fine with people who tell me how it is; it is the pretense that I can't stand.
There is a lot of wishful thinking in our spiritual community. There is arrogance wrapped in sheep's clothing as well. Is it really that hard to see that the people we interact with simply hold up a mirror for us? Right now I live and work in the "real" world where people tell me how it is, while being free in the spiritual venue. I publish under a pen name and simply have an internet presence that does not require me to impress anyone. "Falsehood" is something I have effectively cut out of my life. Why don't you do the same.
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