A truth that’s told with bad intent Beats all the lies you can invent.
—William Blake—
The quality of our relationships with others depends heavily on our motives. If we’re trying to change our friends, to correct their behavior or to improve their lives, we’ll ensure a poor quality of friendship. The only life we have power over is our own. Trying to fix other people isn’t only futile, it’s disrespectful. Chronic “fixers” are likely to attract people who seem to cry out for their services. Over time, the situation usually proves to be a set-up for frustration and anger. Self-respect begins inside ourselves. Real consideration for others demands that we treat them with the same respect we’d like to receive.
There is no such thing as my telling someone something “for their own good.”