“We like to take our anger out on those who are weaker, those who cannot answer. It is a human trait. And somehow the arguments to prove we are right appear out of nowhere.” [Solzhenitsyn; from the Gulag Archipelago]

I like the way Solzhenitsyn doesn’t disqualify himself from this human weakness. It is clear from his writing that he believes he is just as capable of doing the same things himself.

His observation here is true and sad, and something to be looked out for, paid attention to.

It is much easier to say, “You did this to me!”, than it is to say, “I feel very angry at you!”. It is much easier to say what we think to be true of others than to acknowledge our own experiences and feelings. It is much easier to project—saying, “You are a bitter and distasteful person”—than it is to say, “I feel bitterness and distaste inside of me when I’m close to you.”

It is much easier to say, “You are a hateful person!”, than it is to say, “If I’m honest, I feel hatred for you.”

It is much easier to make others out to be small than it is to acknowledge that we would quite like to step on them.