Sincerity Can Preserve a Blind Spot
Sincerity matters. A sincere person is not pretending to believe something else. They are reporting their view as they actually hold it. That honesty is valuable. It does not guarantee self-awareness.
We can sincerely believe a story about ourselves and still be unable to see the assumptions maintaining it. We can sincerely feel wronged while omitting our own contribution to the conflict. We can sincerely call ourselves open-minded while dismissing evidence that threatens a cherished position.
The blind spot is not created by insincerity. It can be protected by sincerity. I really do feel this way becomes the end of the inquiry. A more demanding authenticity keeps sincerity and examination together. What do I honestly believe? And what can I not yet see about the way I am believing it?
Sincerity tells the truth about our current view. Self-examination asks whether the current view is telling the whole truth.