Reflexive criticism -- Many are most annoyed by traits in others

[KurtNYC]

which they dislike and/or deny in themselves.

This is a kind of theory I came up with and I just keep seeing evidence for it and different versions of it. Have you ever met someone who said "I don't like people who play head games"? And then THEY turned out to a habitual head gamer? (In fact the line above is a kind of "head game").

Some other examples:
In another forum here, one frequently sees one poster giving another an impolite gloves-off lecture on how THE OTHER PERSON is not polite. A woman on a bus got bumped by an 8 year-old boy and she proceeded to make a complete ass of herself by yelling at the boy's mother, "You need to teach him some manners!" Until the kid was in tears. (I stepped between her and the boy & mother, and asked her as innocently as I could pretend 'was she injured, should I call 911 and she directed her anger at me then but that was my intent -- to get her to stop yelling at the poor kid.)

It has often been said that "it is far easier to find our own faults in others than to see them in ourselves." And this is something akin to that. Any thoughts?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear KurtNYC!

Oh absolutely!

Look at all the proverbs.....Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.....

And like that....

I think we criticize others just so we don't have to criticize ourselves!

We divert ourselves this way...

This is a trait that has been handed down from times long gone....

:hi:

[AmyDeLune]

2. My former co-worker was the very personification of that.

I was thrilled when he finally quit.