“I look only to the good qualities of men. Not being faultless myself, I won't presume to probe into the faults of others.”
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Probable attribution
This saying is widely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, but the attribution is not supported by a reliable primary source.
Likely origin: Widely credited to Gandhi and collected in 'The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi' (Prabhu & Rao); no confirmed dated primary (Young India/Harijan/CWMG) located.
About this quote
Withholding judgment starts from an honest look at your own record. Once you've admitted you're not spotless, appointing yourself inspector of everyone else's flaws stops feeling justified. The habit trains your attention toward what's worth encouraging in a person rather than what's worth policing.
When to use it
- A team lead opens every review with what the person did well before anything else.
- A mother-in-law swallows the critique and notices instead how patient her son-in-law is with the kids.
- Meeting someone new, a man looks for one thing to admire rather than cataloguing first impressions to fault.