Criticism is easy, but as it’s been said, no one ever erected a statue of a critic. We’re all tragically flawed in one way or another, so finding fault in others really is no big feat.

Of course, that doesn’t stop us from doing it. However, most times our griping about one another is done behind closed doors. After all, we wouldn’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, right?

But if the words we choose would be hurtful or damaging if actually heard in public, why bother saying it at all? What do we get out of the backbiting, other than perhaps some false sense of superiority?

It a greater challenge to find the good in everyone, although the effort can be well worth it. Research has shown that the words we choose actually affect the way we see the world. So if we are putting energy into finding redeeming qualities in one another, not only does it make others feel better to hear, but we also begin to see the world as a better place, overall.

It’s a given that each of us, at any given time, will be annoying, will do something really dumb, or may even behave in ways that others deem inconsiderate. However, none of us would likely agree that the sum total of our shortcomings define who we are. If we would ask the world to look at us as basically good people, shouldn’t we begin by returning the favor?

Written by Kristen Cole