christopherhildreth

“The sting of rebuke is the truth.” These words were spoken by Ben Franklin and could not be more true today than they were back in the infancy of the American nation.

Rebuke is something none of us like. To be told we are wrong offends our ego and bruises our pride. However, like Franklin stated, when the comments carry the ring of truth, their pain seeps deeper into our being. We know our own mistakes and hidden failings; and often seek out ways of burying them in the dust of time. When a fault or character flaw – specifically one we thought we had dealt with – is pointed out by a friend or colleague, there is a pain that defies explanation.

The true response can only be honesty at our personal lack and a resolve to continue working on the issue or problem. The great thing about we humans is that we were not created perfect, nor can we be. As the saying goes, “to err is human” is correct. Our imperfections display our beautiful humanness.

Ben had his own issues, but we still choose to remember him as a great American statesman. If you fail, choose to remember the “great” things about you, and if someone close to you fails, choose to remember and help them to remember the beauty of our frailty and their “great” moments as well. 

This entry was posted on March 3, 2008 at 4:07 am and is filed under Context, Cultural Ideas, Influence, Strengths. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site.