Everyone sins, do you bother to reconcile it with yourself? If yes, how?

WHat do you mean by "reconciling it with yourself"?

We all do things that we know are wrong.

Do we justify it to ourselves? Say it's not so bad? Everyone else does it? I'm not on that level? I'll start working on it next year?

perhaps 'it was for the greater good.'

i forgive myself.

If I recognize it's wrong- I hope so.

Not always am I on the level to even think of justifying it, it just happens automatically.

Like I didn't daven on time, I feel guilty... I was sleeping late from babysitting late last night, most girls daven late, it's a mitzva shehazman grama... when the fact remains, I should have gotten up with the alarm, at 8 AM.

It's not reconciling, but I want to feel better about it without really working on myself.
Which reminds me of a thread.

good attitude.



however, have you never rationalized?

i'm a woman. you mean analyze, don't you?

I do things that I think are right for that time and place. Later on I may decide that I should've done something else...

And at other times I do things on an impulse or out of weakness, even against my better judgment. Sometimes I try to work on that weakness or change circumstances so that I don't succumb to it, and sometimes I feel ok with having succumbed to it.

no.

I don't analyze or rationalize. I just get mad at myself.
(I'm neither a woman nor a man; I'm a can opener.)

i'm flattered. the only rationalization i attempt to limit myself to is that it is what it is and can't be changed except by future actions.


! ohh. an inanimate object!

I figure since all those nazis managed to live untill their 90's in argentina, whatever minor sin i do wont really be punished. so i dont really care. but if its 'beim adam l'chaveriro' i feel bad and try to make it up with the person.

I figure that I have sinned but I've also had a lot of crud happen in my life, so we're even.

I've done some bad things. I don't try to rationalize them. I try and do teshuva.

So since others have done wrong that excuses your own behavior?? That doesn't work when you try that with your parents as a child, you think G-d's going to fall for that dreck?

Personally, if it's against another person I will try to make amends with that person. In any case, I pray, talk to G-d, & try not to falter again - which I know, I know, I'm only human, but trying can only help.

Hmmm...I think everyone justify/rationalise many of their sins to an extent,* otherwise how would people do things on a regular basis that they believe to be wrong?

Once you rationalise, does it mean you don't feel guilty about it?
Or deep down you do feel guilty, but need to come up with explanations to pacify your surface conscience.

I would say a lot of it comes down to short-term gratification.
I know, if I gave proper thought to the long-term implications of everything I choose to do / not to do, I would be a different person.

If people were capable of doing that all the time, there wouldn't be any need to ever justify anything.
In reality, we excuse themselves from certain things for varying reasons and very forgiving of ourselves.
If this wasn't so, people would have a very bleak opinion of themselves, as there is no perfection and there will always be things you should have done better.

*speaking about people who believe there is such thing as sin. If not, the same applies for someone doing things which go against their own moral code / belief system. eg. a person who is a vegetarian for moral motives, but is offered a free burger and eats it.