Bit by Bit - Chapter 24, Part 21

Trey Smith

There are the smug-and-satisfied, there are the precariously perched, and there are the bent-with-burdens. What I call the smug-and-satisfied are those who, having learned the words of one master, put on a smug and satisfied look, privately much pleased with themselves, considering that what they've gotten is quite sufficient, and not even realizing that they haven't begun to get anything at all. These are what I call the smug-and-satisfied.
~ Burton Watson translation ~

Smugness -- being too full of ourselves -- frequently leads to our own downfall. Because we believe that we are so damned smart, skilled or insightful, we miss things that could have been dealt with easily and quickly.

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