Goethe on Seeing the Best in Others

So very very true. The knowledge that other people believe in us is powerful, more powerful than our own passions and ambitions sometimes. And sometimes that belief can fuel our passions and ambitions to places we never imagined. It is the power of good that wins out. But only when it is sincere. Shallow and superficial flattery for one's own gain or purpose is blatantly transparent, does more harm than good.

This is so true. We all have incredible potential to give a boost to others' self esteem, make their day better, make them more confident or happier, simply by seeing their inner potential. I myself can look back upon all the moments in which I lacked confidence, and just the thought that some people close to me believed in me deeply and felt I could succeed helped me get through that situation & become a better person.

But of course, if a person is all too egotistical, I don't think we should encourage them further. Sometimes people with egos need to be brought back to reality.

Thanks Kat! I'm so glad you enjoyed the post – have a great week

Elisa – totally agree that sometimes having someone believe in us is
exactly the fuel and motivation we need to keep going, particularly
when things get tough and we're ready to quit or can't see a way
forward. And equally true that support should be genuine and come from
the heart – otherwise it's meaningless.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope your week is off to a great start!

Yes – always look for the good in everything and everyone – Embellish the positive and diminish the negative. Once you start focusing on the negative and become pessimistic, life starts to really suck. We should all give each other the benefit of the doubt more often and trust in the fact that at our core, each of us is inherently good. Thanks for the reminder Jen!

“we bring out the best in others – and in ourselves” — this is well said, Jenny

Are you familiar with Martin Buber, the Jewish philosopher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Buber)? The quote you provided and that statement you wrote echo the message of two of his seminal works, I and Thou (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-Thou) and The Way of Man (http://www.amazon.com/Way-Man-According-Teachin…). In both he advocates the importance of recognizing the positive and the humanity in one another; in doing so we hallow all our relationships and raise up ourselves.

Interesting reading, I'd recommend him.

Jenny this is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this quote, I'm a quote freak and haven't stumbled across this one.

I have always found the best in others…largely, when no one else around me may understand why. It may not be the best (all the time) but it hasn't hurt me in the past and I continue to see the positive and help to uplift people. I would rather that than cynicism. Believing in someone is powerful stuff and I've believed in people I've just met and then people I've known my whole life. It's not tangible but it is real. Thanks for this.

What a lovely inspirational blog post.

A x

Walter – Sorry for the delay in responding to your comment. Just wanted to
say thanks for stopping by, and that I absolutely agree! Sometimes seeing
good in others is challenging – but those are the times it is most
important, and like you said – leads to us getting that goodness in return.
If anything, we get some of that “goodness” just by being kind to others -
regardless of how they may respond. Happy New Year!

J.D. – I couldn't agree more. Having someone see something in us that we
can't yet see for ourselves is such an incredible gift. Some of those
moments have been absolutely life-changing for me. Thanks so much for being
an amazing, insightful, faithful blog reader this year – I look forward to
keeping in touch in 2010. Happy New Year!

Thanks aDeeb! I appreciate you taking time to stop by and comment – have a
great week!

Thanks Matt! SUCH a good reminder to give people the benefit of the doubt,
just like you said. And to recognize that most of us are all good people,
trying to do well for the world (and our friends and families). If we can
remember how much we all have in common, and how much we all have ups and
downs – then I think we can learn to live in a way that emphasizes the
positive and not the negative. I agree – living life as a pessimist is no
way to live at all! It's a recipe for misery, if you ask me. Have a great
week, and thanks again for stopping by!

Hi Lenora! Great to hear from you – I really enjoyed our chat too; between
you and Grace I feel lucky to be in on the Boyle secret! You are both
amazing, and I really look forward to keeping up with both of you this year.
I love the Goethe quote you shared, and can't wait to go check out your new
blog. Congrats on making the switch!

Jacki – you're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it Nice to (virtually)
meet you!