Lets use the example of self-righteousness to illustrate the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination.
1. Ignorance (avijja): The person lacks understanding of the true nature of reality and their own limitations and fallibility.
2. Mental formations (sankhara): Due to ignorance, the person forms habitual patterns of seeking validation and praise for their beliefs and actions.
3. Consciousness (viññana): The persons consciousness is conditioned by these mental formations, making them prone to self-righteousness.
4. Name and form (nama-rupa): The persons body and mind manifest in a way that reinforces their belief in their own rightness and righteousness.
5. The six sense bases (salayatana): The persons sense organs interact with the external world, taking in information that reinforces their self-righteous beliefs.
6. Contact (phassa): The person encounters situations, people, or ideas that challenge their sense of rightness or righteousness.
7. Feeling (vedana): The person experiences a sense of discomfort or unease as a result of the contact that challenges their self-righteousness.
8. Craving (tanha): The person develops a desire to maintain their sense of rightness or righteousness and to control or change the external situation or people so that it aligns with their beliefs.
9. Clinging (upadana): The persons attachment to their self-righteousness intensifies, leading them to cling to their beliefs, opinions, and actions as if they are ultimate truths.
10. Becoming (bhava): This clinging to self-righteousness reinforces the persons habitual patterns and karmic tendencies, leading to continued or increased self-righteousness in future situations.
11. Birth (jati): The persons self-righteousness manifests in the form of holding onto their beliefs and opinions even in the face of evidence or feedback to the contrary.
12. Old age and death (jara-marana): Unaddressed self-righteousness can lead to increased conflict, divisiveness, and suffering, perpetuating negative consequences not only in this lifetime but in future ones.
In this example, we can see how the Twelve Nidanas apply to the arising and perpetuation of self-righteousness. By understanding the dependent origination of self-righteousness and recognizing the interdependence of the Twelve Links, a person can cultivate humility, openness to feedback, and a greater understanding of their limited perspective, ultimately leading to greater peace and freedom from suffering.

How to break cycle at each point:

Here are some possible ways to break the cycle of self-righteousness at each point:

1. Ignorance (avijja): By increasing ones knowledge and understanding of different perspectives and remaining open-minded to new information, one can overcome ignorance and develop a more nuanced perspective.

2. Mental formations (sankhara): By recognizing the tendency towards self-righteousness, one can use contemplative practices such as meditation or journaling to explore the underlying beliefs and motivations. This can lead to the development of more skillful patterns of thought and behavior.

3. Consciousness (viññana): By developing mindfulness and self-awareness, one can become more conscious of the ways in which mental formations shape their consciousness. This can help to overcome habitual patterns of thought and behavior that reinforce self-righteousness.

4. Name and form (nama-rupa): By recognizing that ones belief system does not define the entirety of ones identity, one can cultivate a sense of detachment from self-righteousness and develop a more holistic understanding of oneself.

5. The six sense bases (salayatana): By exposing oneself to a diversity of perspectives and sources of information, one can broaden their understanding and reduce the tendency towards selective exposure to information that reinforces self-righteousness.

6. Contact (phassa): By developing the ability to tolerate discomfort and uncertainty, one can respond to challenging situations with a more level-headed and constructive approach.

7. Feeling (vedana): By acknowledging and accepting uncomfortable feelings that arise in response to challenges to ones self-righteousness, one can prevent these feelings from turning into reactive behavior.

8. Craving (tanha): By recognizing the impermanence of beliefs and ideas and cultivating a more flexible and adaptable mindset, one can reduce clinginess to self-righteousness.

9. Clinging (upadana): By adopting a more curious and open-minded approach to different ideas and perspectives, one can develop a more flexible and adaptable mindset that reduces the tendency towards clinging.

10. Becoming (bhava): By actively seeking out diverse perspectives and engaging in constructive dialogue with those who hold different beliefs, one can disrupt the cycle of self-righteousness and develop new patterns of thought and behavior.

11. Birth (jati): By maintaining a sense of openness and flexibility in response to feedback and criticism, one can avoid becoming entrenched in self-righteousness and protect against reactive, defensive behavior.

12. Old age and death (jara-marana): By cultivating a more inclusive and compassionate approach to others, one can break the cycle of self-righteousness and connect more meaningfully with others in a way that reduces conflict and suffering.