Marcus told himself to bear with his own faults as patiently as he bore with others', a hard thing, since we're often gentlest with everyone but ourselves. You'd never speak to a struggling friend the way your inner voice speaks to you on a bad day. The Stoics aimed high on character, but they understood you're a work in progress, and so is everyone. Falling short isn't proof you're a failure. It's proof you're human and still trying. Being kind to yourself isn't going soft or making excuses. It's the steadier ground from which you actually improve, because shame freezes you, while patience lets you get back up and try the next thing.

Inspired by the old idea of patience with one's own faults. Written by Ugo Charles.