Search others for their virtues, thyself for their faults.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Look for what is good in other people while examining what you can improve in yourself. This can balance a habit of excusing yourself and criticising everyone else.

What the words are saying

The saying deliberately sends attention in two different directions. Looking outward for virtues encourages appreciation instead of constant fault-finding; looking inward for faults encourages honesty instead of self-flattery. It can help during a disagreement when someone sees only their own good intentions and the other person’s mistakes. The advice is a corrective emphasis, not a complete rule for judgement. You still need to recognise harmful conduct in others and worthwhile qualities in yourself. Its useful purpose is to widen a one-sided account, making gratitude and personal responsibility possible without demanding either blindness or harsh self-criticism.

Everyday example

A collaborator recognises a partner’s careful research while admitting that her own late drafts contributed to tension over the project.

When to use it

Use it to rebalance criticism when appreciation and personal responsibility are being overlooked.

Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.