The Moral Vision
Realizing One’s Own Shortcomings
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REALIZING ONE’S OWN
SHORTCOMINGS
He had reached old age and was still unmarried.
When asked his reason for remaining a bachelor, he
said that he had always been looking for a perfect
spouse. “But in all this time, did you not find one?”
he was asked. “Once I did,” he replied, “but
unfortunately she was looking for a perfect spouse
too, and I did not come up to the required
standard.”
Generally people are expert at detecting the faults
of others. That is why they are unable to get on with
anybody. If they were to seek out their own faults,
instead of those of others, they would realize that
they are in the same position as they find others to
be in. Awareness of one’s own shortcomings makes
for a spirit of humility in individuals and unity in
society. If one sees only the faults of others, on the
other hand, one will become arrogant, and
perennially be at odds with one’s fellows.
It is a fact of psychology that no single person can
be an amalgam of all good qualities. Just as there
