By the Same Standards

^{Originally published in The Way on March 22, 1941}

A great part of everyone's waking life is spent in silent or oral criticism. Scarcely does anything happen, do we receive any service, but we pass judgment. There is a tremendous amount of criticism in this world, yet an equal amount of improvement is not evident. Why? Because most of the criticism is wasted. We spend our time criticizing others and not ourselves.

Is there any way to avoid this ceaseless waste of opinion? Can it be put to use? Yes, there is a way of doing this and it is quite simple. When we criticize, something has displeased us. The person, the thing or the institution against whom this criticism was directed may remain intractable, but we can turn around and ask: “What about ourselves?”

The principles governing the activities of men are much the same everywhere. Do I, by any chance, commit the same error or possess the same fault? Is that perhaps why I see it so readily in others? Is someone criticizing me for the same thing I am criticizing someone else?

We are willing to criticize others, but not ourselves. Many times the truth hurts. Furthermore, it is a hard dose to take because not all of our criticism is given in good will, but facing the truth is a good thing for us. This procedure will lead to self-knowledge and self-knowledge to self improvement.

Certainly, we should be willing to measure ourselves by the same standards we measure others.