Considering the pope’s statement, and how frequently any person is told people have not been kind about you, perhaps it would be good to turn to old Epictetus for counsel:
If someone has just told you that so-and-so is saying something bad about you, do not try to justify yourself in the least with regard to what has been reported to you; only answer: “He must not be fully informed about all the other things that could be said about me; otherwise he would not have limited himself to that.” (from Virtue & Happiness translated into English by Sherab Chodzin Kohn)
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In