Promise of a new Day

When you are offended at any man’s fault, tum to yourself and study your own failings. Then you will forget your anger. —Epictetus—
We take note of others’ shortcomings and frequently record them in our minds, and then rely on these memories to feel superior. Seldom do we perceive our own failings as clearly. It takes courage and determination to inventory all our traits, both the pleasant and the unpleasant. It also takes an honest desire to know ourselves before we can fully assess the value of our traits. We can be certain, however, that the shortcomings we’ve noticed in others, we’ll discover in ourselves. It might well be a worthwhile exercise in personal development to let what bothers us in others guide our own attempt at self-improvement. For instance, if another’s cynicism triggers negative feelings in us, we can be fairly certain we, too,
respond cynically on occasion. Then we can make the decision to clean our own house. We aren’t perfect, but we can strive to like ourselves, and others. Self-improvement and self-love will make it easier to accept someone else. If I don’t like something someone is doing today, I will take an honest look at myself.