The Baal Shem Tov: What Others Reveal in Our Mirror

Your fellow man is your mirror. If your own face is clean, the image you perceive will also be flawless. But should you look upon your fellow man and see a blemish, it is your own imperfection that you are encountering. You are being shown what it is that you must correct within yourself.

Attribution printed on the image: The Baal Shem Tov

A reflection on the teaching

This mirror teaching invites us to examine our response when someone else's behavior strongly bothers us. There may be something to learn about our own habits, assumptions or sensitivities. That does not make us responsible for another person's wrongdoing, and it does not remove the need for boundaries. We can ask two separate questions: what needs addressing in the situation, and what can I learn about myself from my reaction? Holding both gives the teaching a practical use without turning every criticism into self-blame.

Source note: The attribution above is transcribed from the image. The exact source and English wording have not been independently verified.