My Cousin. . .

Dear Aunti M.
My cousin takes himself so seriously.  He claims to be on this Giant Spiritual Path, which evidently makes him better than any of the rest of us, and I'm just sick of it. I have to go to a wedding where he will be - get this - The Best Man - and his sanctimonious-down-the-nose makes me want to dance naked on the tables!  I know this isn't generous of me, but I just can't help it.  I know you have been around a lot of people like this, so what do you do?
Signed, Ready to Strip at a Family Gathering

Dear Ready,
We do sympathize; honestly we do.  And depending on your age, and your exercise routine, stripping may or may not be the best route.  This option has been closed to Aunti M for some time, you may not be surprised to hear, although elder women getting naked en masse has proven to be a powerful political statement, but we digress.
You are not going to want to hear this, but that is not a criteria for saying things that Aunti M honors, so here goes.  Giant Spiritual Path People deserve your compassion too.  They are in their own parade, just like Giant Money People, or Giant Political People. They've just added a different frequency of insecurity.  It's ultimately all the same.
Aunti M has learned when people got to keep reminding you of how much they've accomplished in any category, when they are wearing it out loud, it is because they have to keep reminding themselves.  If you can just picture, while you are listening to him tell you how many hours he meditates, or how he eats only bean sprouts with purified whatever juice on top, just picture him as a frightened, naked little boy, because that is - trust me on this - how he feels inside.  Your getting mad at him will only confirm his illusion that he can't manage in the world as he really is - made of the same fabulous all-mixed-up-together humanness that you are and that Aunti M is. . .
However, this doesn't preclude dancing naked on the tables. . .but only if these people are Unitarians. . .