Mirror Image

 https://jewishaction.com/jewish-living/mirror-image/

The Baal Shem Tov taught that the world is a mirror, and that the defects we see in other people are only a reflection of our own defects.  We are likely to be oblivious to our own defects, but can easily detect shortcomings in other people.  The Baal Shem Tov instructs us to take such observations as indications that we have these shortcomings ourselves.

We may assume that we are being given “signals” to call attention to defects of which we may be unaware, but there is also a psychological explanation.  Many decades after the Baal Shem Tov, psychologists formulated the conception of “projection”; i.e., we are likely to project our own faults onto someone else.

The Baal Shem Tov is simply giving us the most common reason why we may see faults in others.  It is a defensive maneuver to minimize the awareness of our own faults, and the self-recrimination that would result from such awareness.

Most people are quick to criticize others for their faults.  How wonderful the world would be if we followed the Baal Shem Tov’s teachings, and did as he did; namely, when noticing a fault in others, direct our attention inwardly to discover where we can make changes that would lead to self-improvement.