Our culture peculiarly honors the act of blaming, which it takes as the sign of virtue and intellect.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Neither praise or blame is the object of true criticism. Justly to discriminate, firmly to establish, wisely to prescribe, and honestly to award. These are the true aims and duties of criticism.
We are more tied to our faults than to our virtues.
There can be no doubt that the average man blames much more than he praises. His instinct is to blame. If he is satisfied he says nothing; if he is not, he most illogically kicks up a row.
Psychologically, it's always more pleasurable to blame others for our problems than it is to acknowledge our own responsibility.
There is a luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves we feel no one else has a right to blame us.
A culture in which guilt is automatically assumed to be neurotic and unhealthy has devised a remarkably clever way of protecting its self-interest.
Our actions seem to have their lucky and unlucky stars, to which a great part of that blame and that commendation is due which is given to the actions themselves.
Some of us have become so addicted to pointing fingers at others for all the wrong that happens in our lives that self-assessment has become synonymous with blaming the victim.
What can everyone do? Praise and blame. This is human virtue, this is human madness.
In praise there is more obtrusiveness than in blame.