Two False Standards: Self-Measuring and Self-Comparing

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:12 that those who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves "are not wise." Joseph Exell identifies two distinct corruptions of judgment at work here.

The first fault—measuring oneself by oneself—springs from three sources. Conceit leads a man to believe himself sufficiently perfect for practical purposes, needing no thorough remodeling. Isolation blinds him: a man who lives alone, reads nothing, mingles with none, never witnesses self-denial or courage exemplified in others—how can he measure by any standard but himself? Third, moral sluggishness acquiesces in present conditions, hoping all will come right. By contrast, St. Paul refused such presumption; he exemplified the heroic soul that "counted not itself to have apprehended" (Philippians 3:13).

The second fault—comparing themselves with themselves—transforms the individual standard into a collective one. These men measure by a "plural self," a composite self of their own surroundings and circumstances, an "environment" of beings like themselves—mere reflections of their own thought and judgment. This person is neither solitary nor misanthropic, yet his light remains limited, confined to his own little world. Some among the poor, Exell observes, pride themselves on their littleness, making it a merit not to venture beyond their workshop or street.

Both standards exclude the only true measure: the character and righteousness of Adonai Himself.