Jean Genet Quotes

When I was young, every time I criticized someone, my mother would stand me in front of the mirror and say: 'The flaws you see in others are actually a reflection of yourself.' That taught me to pay close attention when I looked at others.

I've been criticized for not having perspective in the past and I thought that of myself many times but not there.

Have you ever heard the expression: Walk a mile in my shoes, and then judge me? And write your own books.

Getting up and criticizing the other fellow because he's in and you are not seems to me a futile waste of time. Especially as you know in your heart that you would be doing more or less the same thing if you were in his place.

I try and put myself in other peoples eyes, as I dont feel I've got anything new to say about myself at 23.

I've learned a lot. Being more compassionate.

We all have weaknesses. But I have figured that others have put up with mine so tolerably that I would be much less than fair not to make a reasonable discount for theirs.

The more that we self-analyze ourselves, the nicer we are to people and to ourselves, and the more we understand each other.

The more you understand yourself, the more you will understand the world.

One should go easy on smashing other people's lies. Better to concentrate on one's own.

Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself.

Sometimes you're not like the person you'd want to hang out with. Would I really want to hang out with me full time? No, you've gotta find people who balance you out.

If any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be.

Simply be the qualities you seek in others.

It is far better to know our own weaknesses and failures than to point out those of others.

Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and nonviolence, when it helps us to see the enemy's point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.

Keep up a humble sense of your own faults, and that will make you compassionate to others

What we can and should change is ourselves: our impatience, our egoism (including intellectual egoism), our sense of injury, our lack of love and forbearance. I regard every other attempt to change the world, even if it springs from the best intentions, as futile.

The more time we spend considering the shortcomings of others, the smaller a person we become.

The world is a mirror for us – whatever you say about others is really how you feel about yourself.

It's not easy to know who you are and it's very painful and takes a lot of time and that is why a lot of people don't want to put in the effort.

When you descant on the faults of others, consider whether you be not guilty of the same. To gain knowledge of ourselves, the best way is to convert the imperfections of others into a mirror for discovering our own.

More than anything else, what differentiates people who live up to their potential from those who don't is a willingness to look at themselves and others objectively

Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.

Thank everyone who calls out your faults, your anger, your impatience, your egotism; do this consciously, voluntarily.