Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Life teaches us to be kinder to ourselves and others.
In plain terms
Life lessons soften our harshness.
What can you take from it?
Practice self‑compassion and empathy.

Where it applies

  • personal setbacks
  • conflict resolution

Putting it to work

  • reframe mistakes positively
  • listen before judging

Questions to consider

  • How can you balance kindness with honesty?
  • When is self‑criticism useful?

Another view

Kindness can be misused as avoidance of accountability.

More from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

  1. Pleasure and love are the pinions of great deeds.

    Permalink to quote #43
  2. Tell me you stones, O speak, you towering palaces! Streets, say a word! Spirit of this place, are you dumb? All things are alive in your sacred walls Eternal R…

    Permalink to quote #45
  3. One says a lot in vain, refusing; The other mainly hears the 'No.'

    Permalink to quote #42

Related quotes

  1. Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb -- they're often students, for heaven's sake.

    Terry PratchettTerry Pratchett quote #45
  2. No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to un…

    Emma GoldmanEmma Goldman quote #71
  3. We should listen to the voice of conscience. It does not take nearly as much courage as one might think to admit to our mistakes and learn from them. Human bei…

    Traudl JungeTraudl Junge quote #1