The Moral Vision
The Human Personality
~ 76 ~
representative of the entire personality. If an
individual proves unreliable in one matter, he is
likely to evince the same unreliability in other
matters; if he is guilty of untrustworthiness on one
occasion, the chances are that this trait will show up
time and time again.
There is only one kind of person who is an
exception to that rule, and that is the one who
subjects his own behaviour to constant re-appraisal,
who is continually scrutinizing himself for
weaknesses and faults and who, once having found
such faults, wastes no time in rooting them out.
A man who has made a mistake can completely
erase the marks of what is an unfortunate
experience for others by admitting his mistake and
begging forgiveness. Some people are pricked by
their consciences, but do nothing to assuage the
ruffled feelings of others, thinking that to do so
would be sheer weakness and would mean a loss of
face. Such people can never have healthy social
relationships and can never win the respect of their
fellow men. They do not realize that a man displays
