It is curious that our own offenses should seem so much less heinous than the offenses of others. I suppose the reason is that we know all the circumstances that have occasioned them and so manage to excuse in ourselves what we cannot excuse in others. We turn our attention away from our own defects, and when we are forced by untoward events to consider them, find it easy to condone them. For all I know we are right to do this; they are part of us and we must accept the good and bad in ourselves together.
But when we come to judge others, it is not by ourselves as we really are that we judge hem, but by an image that we have formed of ourselves from which we have left out everything that offends our vanity or would discredit us in the eyes of the world. To take a trivial stance: how scornful we are when we catch someone out telling a lie; but who can say that he has ever told not one, but a hundred?
There is not much to choose between men. They are all a hotchpotch of greatness and tininess, of virtue and vice, of nobility and baseness. Some have more strength of character, or more opportunity, and so in one direction or another give their instincts freer play, but initially they are the same. For my part, I do not think I am any better or any worse than most people, but I know that if I set down every action in my life and every thought that has crossed my mind, the world would consider me a monster of depravity. The knowledge that these reveries are common to all men should inspire one with tolerance to oneself as well as to others. It is well also if they enable us to look upon our fellows, even the most eminent and respectable, with humor, and if they lead us to take ourselves not too seriously.
相关单词：offenses
offenses解释：n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势
offenses例句：
It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
相关单词：heinous
heinous解释：adj.可憎的，十恶不赦的
heinous例句：
They admitted to the most heinous crimes.他们承认了极其恶劣的罪行。
I do not want to meet that heinous person.我不想见那个十恶不赦的人。
相关单词：hem
hem解释：n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制
hem例句：
The hem on her skirt needs sewing.她裙子上的褶边需要缝一缝。
The hem of your dress needs to be let down an inch.你衣服的折边有必要放长1英寸。
相关单词：untoward
untoward解释：adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的
untoward例句：
Untoward circumstances prevent me from being with you on this festive occasion.有些不幸的事件使我不能在这欢庆的时刻和你在一起。
I'll come if nothing untoward happens.我要是没有特殊情况一定来。
相关单词：condone
condone解释：v.宽恕；原谅
condone例句：
I cannot condone the use of violence.我不能宽恕使用暴力的行为。
I will not condone a course of action that will lead us to war.我绝不允许任何导致战争的行为。
相关单词：discredit
discredit解释：vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑
discredit例句：
Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。
相关单词：virtue
virtue解释：n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力
virtue例句：
He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。
相关单词：vice
vice解释：n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的
vice例句：
He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。
相关单词：initially
initially解释：adv.最初，开始
initially例句：
The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。
相关单词：tolerance
tolerance解释：n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差
tolerance例句：
Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。
相关单词：eminent
eminent解释：adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的
eminent例句：
We are expecting the arrival of an eminent scientist.我们正期待一位著名科学家的来访。
He is an eminent citizen of China.他是一个杰出的中国公民。
