His large claws dug deep into the rugged stump.  His icy stare never wavered as he searched for the weak point of his next victim.  Slowly he sharpens his talons to the jagged tune playing in his head.  Indifferent to the suffering he is about to inflict he continues to grind his claws razor sharp.  Soon his next casualty will feel the sting reserved for those unlucky enough to cross his path. 

        My pulse quickened to watch such a skilled hunter stalking his defenseless prey.  One glance into his cold gaze and I knew here was one competent and sure to mete out swift retribution.  He was an expert at finding the faults and flaws of others.  One mistake, slip-up or blunder observed by his ruthless eyes and the talons come out.  His only thoughts are how to take advantage of those weaknesses and how to best wound, injure and hurt those less fortunate.  Anxiously he watches and waits for one wrong move.  Gradually a wicked smile begins to stretch across his scaly lips.

        Have you ever felt like the unseen victim of this story?  Have you felt the icy stares of the fault finders?  The faultfinder is a person who has one sharp eye for faults, and one blind eye for virtues.  Those perfect people who constantly condemn what they do not understand.  Have you ever heard the grinding sound of sharpening claws?  They blame the man who is silent, they blame the man who speaks too much, and they blame the man who speaks too little.  They try to whittle you down and reduce you to their size by criticizing, condemning and accusing.

        The faultfinder is someone indifferent to the pain they inflict.  Their speaking ill of others is a dishonest way of praising themselves.  They always emphasize the negative and consequently live in a dark and gloomy world.  The faultfinder will find even his sugar sour because his unpleasant attitude poisons and spreads to his entire life.  Let us rise above the petty urge to put others down.  We should be quick to praise and slow to criticize.  It is easy to be critical. The real test of greatness is to come up with constructive alternatives.  Don’t waste time criticizing conditions or people; improve them.  As long as you belittle, you will be little.  Happiness is a choice; choose to encourage and build people up.

Something to think about:

• A faultfinder is a person with a bad memory who never remembers the good, or a person with a good memory who always remembers the bad.

• If your brother is a donkey, what are you?

• We can often do more for other people by correcting our own faults than by trying to correct theirs.

• It is better to say a good thing about a bad fellow than to say a bad thing about a good fellow.

• If people don’t measure up to your standard, perhaps you should check your yardstick.

• If it is true what they say about you—do something about it. If it is not true, forget it!

• When looking for faults, use a mirror, not a telescope.

• Those who can, do; those who can’t, criticize.

• The person who is always finding fault seldom finds anything else.

• To avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.

It is better to be blind than to see things wrongly.
Rickey Moore