RECOGNIZING OUR OWN FAULTS
IN my youth, I once read an article in an Urdu monthly magazine titled, The Fault Lies Within. This title was inspired by a verse from the famous Urdu poet Momin Khan Momin (1800–1852):
I blamed others, yet the fault was mine
As I recall, the writer emphasized that people, by nature, tend to blame others for their problems. However, if we look deeper, we often find that the discomfort or loss we experience is the result of our own mistakes. People often structure events in a way that shifts the fault onto others, avoiding accountability themselves. In social life, incidents don’t occur in isolation; rather, each event is a culmination of various contributing factors. Yet, people selectively highlight aspects that support their own narrative, disregarding factors that might implicate them. This selective perception not only clouds personal accountability but also perpetuates societal complaints and conflict.
True change begins when we look inward and take ownership. The solution to resolving our mistakes begins with self-correction. Once you take ownership of your role in issues, problems seem to resolve almost effortlessly. We become more thoughtful, gaining insight into our actions, their motivations, and their consequences.
During my travels in youth, I often noticed people blaming others and recounting stories of injustice. I wondered, if everyone claimed to be a victim, who was playing the oppressor? Eventually, I realized that each person was shifting their mistakes onto others, refusing to acknowledge their own shortcomings. This experience transformed my approach; I stopped blaming others, choosing instead to take responsibility—even for errors that didn’t seem mine. Blaming others feels unnatural to me now; I view selfaccountability as the key to personal and social harmony.
By understanding that personal growth and improved relationships start from within, we cultivate a mindset of self-awareness and maturity. Through introspection and self-responsibility, we foster harmony not just within ourselves, but with those around us.
