One of the greatest sources of human suffering in our day is the self-loathing that fills the hearts of countless people. Underneath much self-assured behavior and material success many people think little of themselves. They might not show it, as it is socially unacceptable, but they suffer from it no less. Feelings of depression, inner anxiety, a sense of spiritual lostness, and most painfully, guilt over past failures and past successes are often the constant companions of highly respected men and women. These feelings are like small rodents, slowly eating up the foundations of our lives.
— Henri J. M. Nouwen, Peace Is the Way by Walter Wink, editor