“Search others for their virtues, thyself for thy vices.” — Benjamin Franklin

Ouch! How many of us, myself included, do the exact opposite of what Benjamin Franklin suggested? We start talking about someone else and then say things like, “I would never do that,” or “What are they thinking?” And in our judgement of them, we start bestowing virtues on ourselves. It’s an, “I’m better than you,” moment—but are we?

First, we have no idea of what the whole story is and why they are acting this way, and we never will. Second, in talking about them and passing judgement on them, I think we have immediately and unfortunately negated the, “I’m better than you,” moment. And third, all of this is a sign of our own insecurities; putting someone else down does not raise us up—just the opposite, actually.

So today, let’s think about the virtues of others. What are their amazing qualities? And more importantly, how would our compassion and understanding help this situation get better? Their negative quality immediately gets nullified with our own negative judgement. We can even add to Franklins quote and say, “Search others for their virtues, and thyself for thy virtues, as well.” We have amazing virtues, too. Leading with our head will always be ego driven. Leading with our heart is a game-changer. The head wants to be right, the heart wants to understand.

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!

Beth