What The Sin Someone Keeps Commiting Reveals About Their Deepest Inner Conflict, According To Psychology
The patterns we repeat often point to the battles we're secretly fighting.
Hosein Sediqi | Unsplash Our sins define us in ways nothing else can. They reveal our true colors, which we are probably scared to manifest. All of us have flaws. Sins are a part of us.
The theory of cognitive dissonance explains how people may engage in behaviors they later feel conflicted about, potentially leading to a need to reconcile these dissonant beliefs and feelings. One study suggested that the 'sin 'is a manifestation of underlying psychological issues, such as unresolved emotional wounds, attachment patterns, or unmet needs.
All of us have flaws and sins that bring out those inner traits. Curious to see your deepest internal conflict? Here’s what your sins tell you about your personality traits.
What the sin someone keeps committing reveals about their deepest inner conflict, according to psychology:
1. Wrath
Yuri A / Shutterstock
Wrath is the personification of anger, which brings out your animal instinct lying deep inside the corner of your heart. It is extremely harmful and detrimental because it makes you lose your rational thinking and act in ways that cross the limits of morality.
If you possess this sin, then it may mean that you have a demon inside you. You are driven insane by your rage; it grips you from all sides like an octopus and causes harm to you more than your enemies. You probably control it most of the time, but if it takes control over you, you can’t break away.
2. Gluttony
Nicoleta Ionescu / Shutterstock
There’s a big difference between being a foodie and possessing the sin of gluttony. A foodie is a person who loves to eat, but gluttony is the desire for food that one cannot quench. There’s nothing wrong with being a foodie. However, possessing gluttony is detrimental. When you have gluttony, you keep on gorging on food till you suffocate.
Having this sin means you might be self-destructive. If you keep on taking food more than your body deserves, you are likely self-sabotaging.
Research by the British Psychological Society suggested that gluttony can be seen as a manifestation of difficulty regulating impulses and desires. The individual may struggle to resist immediate gratification, even when they know it's not in their best interest.
3. Sloth
fizkes / Shutterstock
We often enjoy being lazy sometimes, but sloth is the extreme of laziness. It’s simply about eating and sleeping. It makes you unproductive and may reveal how selfish you are. Caring only for your food and comfort means you are not contributing or giving back to the world that nourished you.
4. Greed
Krakenimages.com / Shutterstock
Apart from the fact that both ‘need’ and ‘greed’ end with ‘eed’, there’s absolutely nothing in common between them. Greed is lusting for things you don’t even need.
If greed is the sin you have, you may be very superficial. You only care about material things and all that is luxurious. The more you try to quench it, the more it will grow, destroying you.
Many studies link greed with a lack of confidence in oneself and a need to feel valuable through material possessions and wealth. Greed is often intertwined with envy and a constant comparison with others who are perceived as having more. This can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and a relentless pursuit of more.
5. Jealousy
Prostock-studio / Shutterstock
Jealousy is the cherished displeasure for someone else’s happiness. It creates a feeling of deprivation and snatches away your self-confidence. If the other person is happy, then there’s no reason for you to be upset because there’s nothing you can do about it.
Having jealousy as a sin means you are likely moving towards something without a proper foundation and may lack control over your thoughts and life.
Jealousy adds unnecessary trouble to a peace that could probably exist. You lose your sense of judgment, and if you let it grow, you can harm your victim, too.
6. Pride
Stock 4you / Shutterstock
Pride is the penultimate step towards downfall. It’s the feeling of superiority over others that you carry based on your success.
If you have pride, it means you likely judge people according to their status and consider them inferior; you are likely to treat them in unwanted ways. If you don’t treat everyone equally, irrespective of who they are or what they have achieved, you are just practicing vanity, and soon, you won’t be focusing on your personal development.
Research suggests that pride can reveal underlying inner conflicts, particularly a discrepancy between what one says about oneself and what one believes about oneself at a deeper level. Research also shows a connection between hubristic pride, shame, and narcissism.
7. Lust
NDAB Creativity / Shutterstock
Lust is the desire for one’s body you can’t take control of. Originating from one of the primitive instincts, it reflects a very shallow aspect of your personality.
If you are driven by lust, it means your body likely has more control over you than your mind. Possessing lust is harmful because it restricts your cognitive growth, and it makes you crave more physical pleasure, which might turn out to be dangerous for others as well.
Emilia Gordon is a writer and a frequent contributor to the Mind's Journal who writes about social activism, traveling, and lifestyle topics.
