To be aware of a single shortcoming within oneself is more useful than to be aware of a thousand in somebody else. Rather than speaking badly about people and in ways that will produce friction and unrest in their lives, we should practice a purer perception of them, and when we speak of others, speak of their good qualities.
If you find yourself slandering anybody, first imagine that your mouth is filled with excrement. It will break you of the habit quickly enough.
— His Holiness The Dalai Lama, The Path to Tranquility by His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Renuka Singh, editor