Trust him little who praises all, him less who censures all, and him least who is indifferent about all.

— Johann Kaspar Lavater

GRATITUDE

WHAT THIS MEANS

Blanket verdicts tell you about the person delivering them rather than about the world. Someone who likes everything has not been paying attention, someone who dislikes everything has found a way to avoid being judged themselves, and someone who cares about none of it has given up the discrimination that makes a judgment worth anything. That discrimination is the whole point: praise means something only if the person is capable of withholding it.

Notice which of the three you drift toward when tired, since most people have a default. Then make one specific judgment this week, with reasons, and be willing to be wrong about it.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Whose flat indifference should worry you more than any criticism?

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