Saint Jerome Quotes

When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself.

The familiar writer is apt to be his own satirist. Out of his own mouth is he judged.

Every man has a bag hanging before him, in which he puts his neighbour's faults, and another behind him in which he stows his own.

I will chide no breather in the world but myself, against whom I know most faults.

Because those, who twit others with their faults, should look at home.

Every man carries two bags about him, one in front and one behind, and both are full of faults. The bag in front contains his neighbors' faults, the one behind his own. Hence it is that men do not see their own faults, but never fail to see those of others.

Open suspecting of others comes of secretly condemning ourselves.

I'm my own biggest critic. I'm the one who has to go home and look at myself in the mirror.

In vain I have looked for a single man capable of seeing his own faults and bringing the charge home against himself.

In truth, to know oneself seems to be the hardest of all things. Not only our eye, which observes external objects, does not use the sense of sight upon itself, but even our mind, which contemplates intently another's sin, is slow in the recognition of its own defects.

Our judgments judge us, and nothing reveals us, exposes our weaknesses, more ingeniously than the attitude of pronouncing upon our fellows.

I am absolutely my own biggest critic.

I'm the greatest critic of my work.

I believe my biggest critic is me only.

I've criticized myself over the years.

I'm going to be more critical of myself than anyone could ever be.

Only those faults which we encounter in ourselves are insufferable to us in others.

Nothing shows our weakness more than to be so sharp-sighted at spying other men's faults, and so purblind about our own.

Before thou reprehend another, take heed thou art not culpable in what thou goest about to reprehend. He that cleanses a blot with blotted fingers makes a greater blur.

Are you not accustomed to look at home, when you abuse others?

Most people use two totally different sets of criteria for judging themselves versus others. We tend to judge others according to their actions. It's very cut-and-dried. However, we judge ourselves by our intentions. Even if we do the wrong thing, if we believe our motives were good, we let ourselves off the hook. And we are often willing to do that over and over before requiring ourselves to change.

We forget our faults easily when they are known to ourselves alone.

All of us should be much more humble and contrite when we point the finger at somebody else, because four more fingers are pointing back at us.

If those persons, who fancy themselves gifted with both the power and the right to define and punish other men's vices, would but turn their thoughts inwardly, they would probably find that they have a great work to do at home; and that, when that shall have been completed, they will be little disposed to do more towards correcting the vices of others, than simply to give to others the results of their experience and observation.