July 30

Only the one who knows all of his weaknesses can be just towards the weaknesses of his neighbor.

1

My children! If someone offends you with a word, give it no importance, look upon it as on something that deserves no attention. But if you have already let slip an insulting word about another, do not make a deal with your conscience by saying: “What did I say, really? It’s such a trifle, it’s not important.” No, do not reason thus, but consider your deed as a thing of great importance and do not rest until by your pleading or by that of your friends you have achieved perfect reconciliation with the one you had offended.

— The Talmud

2

If we put ourselves in other people’s shoes more often, we would free ourselves from the feelings of hatred that we harbor towards them; and if we imagine them in our own shoes, we would reduce our pride.

3

The one who does not know how to forgive destroys the bridge over which he himself will have to pass, for every human being needs forgiveness.

— Lord Herbert

4

Silence is the best reply to an insane person. Every word of your answer will reflect back from the insane person onto you. To repay an insult with an insult is to throw wood into a flame, but the one who meets an accuser with calmness has thereby already conquered him.

Muhammad and Ali had once met a man who, believing that Ali had offended him, started insulting him. Ali endured this with patience in silence for a long time, but eventually he could not hold back and began replying the insults with insults. Then Muhammad walked ahead, leaving the two to finish their quarrel. When Ali had again caught up to Muhammad, he said to him with resentment: “Why did you leave me alone to endure the insults of that impudent man?” Muhammad answered: “When that man was berating you and you were silent, I saw around you ten angels answering him. But when you started replying to his abuse, the angels all left you, and so did I.”

— Muslim tradition

5

If we search ourselves, we will almost always find the same sin that we are condemning someone else for. If, however, we do not recognize this same sin in ourselves, then all we have to do is search a little, and we will find worse.

A deep river will not be upset if a stone is thrown into it; a religious person who gets upset by insults is not a river, but a puddle. If misfortune strikes you, bear it such that, by forgiving others, you yourself deserve forgiveness. Let us remember that we will all return to dust, and be humble. Let us sprinkle our head with ashes before we turn to dust.

— Saadi

We have only to think a little and we will always find ourselves guilty of something before humankind (even if it is only being guilty of using certain privileges for the sake of which, due to social inequality, others must suffer hardships); and this will prevent the thought of duty being pushed away by our selfish notions of merit.

— Kant