We all like to think of ourselves as the “good ones.”
Kind-hearted. Well-intentioned. Fair. Reasonable. Doing the best we can.
And most of the time, that’s true.
But there’s another truth we don’t always like to examine: we all have blind spots about ourselves. Those behaviors, motivations, or attitudes that we simply cannot see clearly because we’re standing too close. Because we have told ourselves that our actions are pure.
It’s a strange thing—the way the human mind works. We are both the main character in our lives and the most deceitful interpretor.
The Version of Ourselves We SEE… and the Version Others EXPERIENCE
If you’ve ever replayed a conversation in your head and thought, “I didn’t mean it that way,” you’ve already brushed up against the idea of blind spots. Sometimes it is a matter of clarity – we know what we meant but failed to explain it adequately. Other times, we justify our actions or our words because we haven’t truthfully examined our own motive.
Intent is internal.
Impact is external.
We tend to judge ourselves by our intentions, but others judge us by our actions. And somewhere inside that gap is where misunderstandings, missteps, and sometimes hurt feelings take root. Not because we’re bad people. But because we didn’t look deeply enough.
We saw ourselves in our best light—the most generous interpretation and the most gracious version of the ideal motive.
Meanwhile, someone else may have experienced something entirely different.
Our Inner “Best Light” Filter
There’s a built-in psychological trick humans play on themselves:
we assume we’re acting for the right reasons because we want to believe we’re good. We filter our own motives through the lens of what we hope they are—
not always what they actually are. And we really need to look deeply to discover our true motives and intentions.
- “I’m just being honest.” → But is it honesty, or is it impatience?
- “I’m only trying to help.” → Or are you trying to control the outcome?
- “I’m standing my ground.” → Or are you avoiding vulnerability?
- “I’m doing what’s best for them.” → Or is it what’s safest for you?
Most of the time, it’s a blend and it’s complicated. We can have pure intentions tangled up with ego, fear, habit, and pride.
‘Unto the Pure, All Things Are Pure’ — But… Are We Pure?
This scripture has a beautiful simplicity.
If your heart is honest, you’re not looking for deceit.
If your motives are clean, you aren’t plotting harm.
If your spirit is aligned, you see the world through that clarity.
But this verse doesn’t assume perfection.
It’s an invitation to examine:
Are we truly operating out of purity… or out of something else?
Purity is clarity.
Purity is self-awareness.
Purity is the willingness to see ourselves without the flattering filters.
It doesn’t mean we’re flawless. It means we’re willing to look. And willing to admit our imperfections and to change, or pivot as necessary.
Why Blind Spots Matter
Blind spots aren’t inherently bad. They’re human.
But when we don’t acknowledge they exist, they affect our relationships, and our ability to lead. They affect our intent and the outcome of our actions.
And often, they keep us from growing because we can’t heal what we won’t see.
Three Practical Ways to Reveal Your Blind Spots
1. Ask yourself the uncomfortable “why.” Twice.
Once you think you know your motive, ask again.
The second answer is usually closer to the truth.
2. Seek perspective gently, from people who love you enough to be honest
People who want the best for you. You don’t have to agree with everything they say, but their vantage point matters.
3. Rethink your interpretation of your own behavior.
Before justifying something you did or said, pause.
Is the story you’re telling yourself the whole story… or just the comfortable part?
The Good News: Blind Spots Shrink with Self-Reflection
Seeing ourselves clearly isn’t a one-time thing.
It’s a practice—a spiritual and emotional discipline that gets easier the more we do it.
When we’re willing to step back, invite clarity, and examine our motives with honesty, we move closer to that scripture:
Unto the pure, all things are pure.
Not because we’re perfect, but because we’re continually choosing truth over comfort, humility over ego, and growth over self-protection.
And when we do that, not only do we see ourselves more clearly—
others begin to see us through that clarity as well.
Walking in purpose, thinking in synergy.
Eclectic Soup 