I received this E-mail by an elder and friend that is very perplexed. So here is his requested post any thoughts? :
I was just reading the 4/1/01 WT p. 21--ARTICLE: Do You Feel Misunderstand?
....I'd like you to post these paragraphs from that article to see if others
feel that this "spiritual food at the proper time" is contradictory or if
it's my own imagination?
"How others evaluate you often depends on their perception of your
intentions. So it is natural to feel bad when people interpret your motive
incorrectly. You might be indignant, feeling that there is no reason why
anyone should misunderstand you. To you, such evaluations are biased,
critical, or completely wrong, and they can hurt deeply--particularly if you
value the opinion of those making the unjust assessments ."---OK
"Though you might be annoyed at the way people judge you, it is nonetheless
appropriate to respect the opinions of others. It is not Christian to
disregard what others think, and never would we want our words or actions to
have a damaging effect on other people. So on occasion you might need to
make an effort to rectify someone's misguided opinion about you. Excessive
concern for approval, however, is counterproductive, leading to loss of
self-respect or a feeling of rejection. After all, your true value does not
depend on what others think. "-----IS THIS CONTRADICTORY? ----HELP!!