Anyone can blame; it takes a specialist to praise.
—Konstantin Stanislavski—
True praise is a form of love. Mystics and saints have seen the whole living, breathing world as a hymn of praise to the Creator Spirit. This spiritual vision implies that praise is both a natural act and an art; simply being can be a form of praise, and so can the most intricate skill.
When we praise another insincerely, we are often concealing other utterances— perhaps jealousy or fear. when was the last we spoke with all our heart?
Blame is easy because we all know what it is to fail. And if we feel blameworthy ourselves, we like to enlist company, to point out others’ failings. Why should we be so grudging of praise? Praise doesn’t diminish us; to the contrary, it augments our spirit. We might seek out occasions for praise as a way of expanding our lives.
I will do what I can to become a specialist of praise.