If we don't see the big picture, we might only see the goo and miss the good. There is some good in the worst of us and some bad in the best of us.
While it is 'good' to have the courage of one's convictions, it is, IMO, imperative to have the courage to question our convictions. I've grown stronger more from resistance to what I believed than by hearing what I already believed. Affirmations are great, but resistance is not futile, regardless of what the Borg tells us.
Plato said to be kind, because no one knows what struggles someone is having. Walk a mile in their moccasins.
Never gossip for reasons already shown. Even if it's obvious that the dirt being thrown on someone's character is true, question it anyway. You don't know the whole picture unless you talk to the person who is being gossiped about. Hear both sides of every story, then make up your mind temporarily.
Gossip can be a polite form of murder by character assassination. This strong language underscores the severity with which views are spoken negatively and judgementally about others. Often, words "barbed with anger" give the ego a false sense of satisfaction while inflicting harm on others.
Nothing pays off like restraint of tongue and pen. We must avoid quick-tempered criticism and furious, power-driven arguments. The same goes for sulking or silent scorn. These are emotional booby traps baited with pride and vengefulness.
Do not let partial information, pride, gossip, or anger control your judgment; seek the fuller picture, question your conclusions, practice empathy, and keep your strength under disciplined control.
I chose this image because when Jesus was offered the world, he didn’t cave.
Skillfully sidestep the traps. When tempted by the bait, we should train ourselves to step back and think. For we can neither think nor act to good purpose until the habit of self-restraint has become second nature.
The meek shall inherit the earth didn't make sense to me until I looked up what the root of meek was. It is Greek for power under control.
My martial arts trainer once told me that 'only dogs get mad', saying that if a dog gets its tail caught in a grinder by accident, it will spin around to attack the thing causing it pain, and get its face ground off as a result. He said not to get upset when someone hits me, but rather to raise my guard and stay focused, or I'll get knocked out. I've seen people get mad in the ring and start flailing, only to get knocked on their butt.