I recognise and appreciate the light in everyone, including myself.

The words including myself are where this gets difficult, and they're tacked on at the end like an afterthought, which is telling.

Most people run two standards. A friend describes a mistake and you find the context instantly — she was exhausted, anyone would have. You describe the same mistake and the verdict is character.

That asymmetry isn't humility. It's a habit with good PR.

Next time you catch yourself narrating your own failure, try saying it out loud in the voice you'd use for someone you love. It usually sounds ridiculous in that voice, which is exactly the point.