More Psalm for the Day; proclaiming whose righteousness?

I am sitting and meditating on Psalm 71. 

There are two repeated phrases: "Those who seek my hurt" and "from my youth." Commitments to "Praise" are used four times. "Your righteousness" as a subject of proclamation three times, with "yours only" to emphasize that. 

Counting word use is only somewhat useful in Bible study, and this is poetry based on repetition rather than rhyme, as ours is. But it matters what is repeated, in this case, Proclaiming His righteousness.

I, and many people, work in a field where we constantly have to convince others of our worthiness. CVs, annual reports, post tenure review. "Look at all the great stuff I did! Let me keep working here! Please, please, please, I'm good enough." (I've gone through post-tenure review training the last two days so I'm kind of jaded here.)  We have to, in a sense, proclaim our own righteousness. I also attended a faculty learning group on a MOOC about DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). The sense of "I know I am guilty here and need to expunge my guilt" was real. (And some of us are; I am guilty of lack of empathy, not animus toward anyone.) 

We really don't have to proclaim our righteousness. Doing so whispers or shouts, "I'm so guilty, please like me, I'm not a bad person like you think I am." Instead, proclaim God's righteousness, repent, and go about the business of doing justice and walking humbly before your God rather than self-justification. 

There is no end to someone trying to make you feel guilty and moving the goal posts. I can't keep up with the lingo. Is it gender preference or gender identity now? And we're not supposed to say "the French"? (It is kind of grouping every member of a society as indistinguishable from each other!)

A woman came to our writers group and thought we were about therapy. It has caused some problems. She has a lot of pain, and she lashes out. She told me I didn't care about children who had been molested. Like I say, there is no end to people who want to blame you for something you had nothing to do with or guilt you about not meeting their standards. Proclaim His righteousness.  

Because there are plenty of people who want to guilt the LORD God too.