It’s time to face the mirror of our conscience

I am always “right .” Have we come across any political leader, a person on the street, colleague, neighbour or a family member who candidly admits to his or her faults, or shortcomings instead of putting the blame on others? Do we ourselves own up to the defects in our personalities? If indeed we are all always in the “right”, then why do we witness so many quarrels, warfare, so much tension and intolerance right from within our homes to society at large?

Two and half centuries ago, the Greek storyteller Aesop came up with a fable. According to it, every man carries two bags of sin. While one bag contains his own sins, the other contains those of his neighbours. The interesting bit is that the bag with his neighbours’ sins hangs on his chest, and the one with his, on his back. And that’s the reason we find it easy to point out faults in others, but we are blind to our own.

That’s why Aesop is immortal and his tales are relevant even today and are a true reflection of the society. And he will continue to remain relevant unless we learn to acknowledge our faults and shortcomings and try to rectify ourselves. It is very easy to point an accusing finger towards others, but perhaps very difficult to stand in front of the mirror of our conscience and take a hard look at ourselves.

But for the sake of peace within the family and society, we urgently need to do the difficult job of looking into that mirror and answer the queries posed by our conscience. Yes, introspection is the need of the hour.

Inner voice comprises contributions from our readers. The views expressed are personal