The Speck and the Plank in One’s Eye

9. How is it that you see a speck in your brother’s eye but you do not see the plank in your own? Or, how is it that you say to your brother, “Let me take a speck out of your eye,” while you have a plank in yours? You hypocrites, first take the plank out of your own eye and then you will be able to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. (Mt. 7:3-5)

10.  One  of  humankind’s  defects consists in  seeing someone else’s evil before  seeing the evil that is within ourselves. In order to judge oneself, it would be necessary to see oneself in a mirror, stepping outside of oneself somehow and regarding oneself as another person, asking: What would I think if I saw someone else doing what I am doing? Most assuredly it is pride that leads people to disguise their own defects, both moral and physical. This fault is essentially contrary to charity because true charity is modest, simple and non-judgmental. Prideful charity is nonsense, since these two sentiments neutralize each other. In fact, how can certain people who are vain enough to believe in their own self-importance and the supremacy of their own qualities possess at the same time enough self-denial to point out in someone  else the good that might eclipse their own instead of the evil that might make them stand out? If pride is the father of many vices, it is also the denial of many virtues. Pride may be found to be the basis and the motive for nearly all actions. That is why Jesus devoted himself to fighting it as the main obstacle to progress.