If you want to be honest with yourself, you have to take criticism, even if you attract adverse comments from others.
Interpretation
Being honest with oneself requires accepting criticism, regardless of negative feedback from others.
This quote emphasizes the importance of self-honesty and the courage it takes to accept criticism. It suggests that true self-awareness involves facing uncomfortable truths, even when those truths may provoke negative reactions from others. Embracing criticism is a step towards personal growth and integrity, as it allows individuals to reflect and improve themselves.
In practice
During a leadership seminar, you might use this quote to encourage participants to embrace constructive feedback.
I believe that every leader has a right to implement his own policy. But when I see things that are done that are not right - abuse of power, wrong approaches, wrong strategies, making use of foreign consultants, including those discarded by other countries - I feel that I have to have my say.
It would seem the people who want to preserve the Penans' way of life are condemning them to a life full of diseases and a shorter life span.
There are certain things that we can deal with by following the rules. But at times, we find the rules restrict you from doing the right things. On such occasions, we have to rethink - either you change the rules or break the rules.
In my years, I had the opportunity to observe peoples and countries. I see some countries doing well, others failing, and my analysis of things is that whether you fail or succeed is a function of your value system.
Free press is not absolute. In this country, we say clearly if you start stirring up racial hatred, then we will put a stop to it. We might even close down your paper, because these things can only lead to a lot of riots and bloodshed.
Independence means we enjoy freedom. We are not colonised by people. And we can govern our own country and develop it independently so that our people can live a better life.
It is dangerous to be right in matters where established men are wrong.
Many people think that it is the function of a spiritual teaching to provide answers to life's biggest questions, _x000D_ but actually, the opposite is true. _x000D_ _x000D_ The primary task of any good spiritual teaching is not to _x000D_ answer your questions, but to question your answers.
What horrifies me most is the idea of being useless: well-educated, brilliantly promising, and fading out into an indifferent middle age.
It is a rare mind indeed that can render the hitherto non-existent blindingly obvious. The cry 'I could have thought of that' is a very popular and misleading one, for the fact is that they didn't, and a very significant and revealing fact it is too.
But if you believe yourself worthy of the thing you fought so hard to get, then you become an instrument of God, you help the Soul of the World, and you understand why you are here.
Every day, have a little bird on your shoulder that asks, 'Is today the day? Am I ready? Am I doing all I need to do? Am I being the person i want to be? Is today the day I die?
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