When Allah The Almighty intends good for His slave, He instills him or her with an awareness of the flaws in his or her character. An insightful person knows of the defects in his or her personality, and upon identifying those blameworthy traits, he or she is able to get rid of them. However, most people are ignorant of their own shortcomings, while some even focus on the minor faults of others while neglecting their own grave errors.

　　There are four ways to diagnose the defects in one’s soul:

　　1- By benefitting from our enemies’ criticism of us, because, in a resentful eye, we see our own evils. Perhaps, the value of an enemy who underscores our defects is greater than the benefit one gains from a flattering friend. That is because we are inclined to accuse our enemies of lying and consider their faultfinding motivated by envy. Nevertheless, a reasonable person certainly stands to benefit from his rivals’ comments.

　　4-