Our shortcomings and defects of character.

Don't we all have some shortcomings and defects of character?

All we have to do is look at ourselves, our families and friends to know that few, if any, of us grew up in a paradise of unconditional love and complete acceptance. Likewise, the gene pool we draw from is also filled with as many flaws as it is praiseworthy attributes.

There are many ways to compensate, or overcompensate for the flaws we see in ourselves.

One common defense against an awareness of our flaws is to look for and to focus on these same flaws in others. This kind of projection makes it easier to live with parts of ourselves that we dislike. As we focus on the short-comings of others, we create an illusion that we are better than them, or less flawed. It stands to reason, that the greater this type of focus on others, the more we are likely to dislike parts of ourselves.