I do not think the author was being quite so black-and-white, all-or-none about it.
Terms can be tricky with this subject. My interpretation is this:
* "righteousness" is the goal/ideal
* "self-righteousness" is the trap that is so easy to fall into (the addiction)
The problem is that this distinction is rarely made, IOW the word "righteous" gets all the negative connotation of "self-righteous" and confuses people who really pay attention to words.
Terms can be tricky with this subject. My interpretation is this:
* "righteousness" is the goal/ideal
* "self-righteousness" is the trap that is so easy to fall into (the addiction)
The problem is that this distinction is rarely made, IOW the word "righteous" gets all the negative connotation of "self-righteous" and confuses people who really pay attention to words.