Close one eye to other people’s flaws. Keep both eyes open for their strengths. And don’t step back to observe people—that’s no good either.
That’s what my 96-year-old teacher told me.
It’s true that we tend to judge others harshly while letting ourselves off the hook.
Does it come from insecurity, self-defense, or an instinct for self-preservation?
When we’re dissatisfied with ourselves or our circumstances, it’s easy to become critical of others.
But some people judge others harshly no matter how successful they are. Status, intelligence, and wealth don’t seem to make much difference.
Is it a way of thinking we’ve carried since childhood? Or is finding fault in others simply part of our survival instinct?
I still don’t know.
Even if I did, the urge to judge others might not go away.
Yet my teacher smiles gently and says,
“I just love people. Looking at their flaws with one eye is enough.”
There must be something in those words that I still can’t see.
For today, I’ll simply try to follow her example.
One eye for flaws.
Both eyes for their strengths.
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