Today’s Thinking Out Loud reflection is on Aesop’s Fable, The Two Bags. Aesop’s Fables is available for free download here.
The Fable
“Every man carries Two Bags about with him, one in front and one
behind, and both are packed full of faults. The Bag in front
contains his neighbors’ faults, the one behind his own. Hence it
is that men do not see their own faults, but never fail to see
those of others.”
Note: Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, spoke of our shadow or dark side. This is the bag that is behind us. Often when we see someone else’s faults we are really see our faults within them. When we are hard on them for the faults we project on them, we’re being hard on ourselves. Recognizing and making peace with our dark side allows to love and forgive ourself and others more freely.