The hardest part of life is not making a mistake, but what comes after that. A mistake might be a moment of weakness, a rushed decision, even a misunderstanding, or a misguided attempt that misses the mark, but often society does not deal with the mistake on this human basis, instead turning it into an open trial and an endless arena of condemnation.
As soon as a person slips, the knives multiply around him. Yes, the knives of words, judgments, and defamation multiply, and we issue judgments without asking: Why did he err? And we do not try to find excuses for him, as the righteous predecessors said, "Find seventy excuses for your brother." Instead, the mistake becomes his new identity, and years of good are reduced to a single moment.
In the era of social media, a mistake is no longer a personal affair or a passing incident but ready material for circulation, publishing, analysis, ridicule, and perhaps distortion. It is written about, circulated, republished, and interpretations and accusations are added, until it loses its original truth. Worse yet, we cross the bounds of criticism to invade personal life, as if the mistake has granted us the right to guardianship over others.
We forget - or choose to forget - that one can err without being unjust, and one can make a weak decision without being evil. Not everyone who errs is corrupt, and not everyone who stumbles deserves exclusion. More painfully, when the hurt comes from someone close, from a person you trusted, or gave your heart to, or stood by their side one day, you are shocked to find that they do not stand with you, do not confront you, do not explain, do not ask, but withdraw silently, or join the ranks of the condemners. They do not say, "I love you but you erred," nor do they say, "Let us understand what happened," instead they choose the easiest path: abandonment.
Here emerges a painful question: What kind of people do we want to be? Do we want to be those who wait for a slip to bring others down? Or those who hold hands with one another when falling? Believe me, a healthy society is not built on exposing mistakes, but on correcting them, not on breaking the person, but on straightening them, for criticism is necessary, yes, but the difference is large between criticism and defamation, between guidance and injury, and between advice and gloating.
Today, we need more than ever, mercy, not harshness; understanding, not haste in judgment; to remember that we are all prone to error, and the turn may come upon us at any moment; if we were in their place, would we accept that the lights be turned on us and our lives scrutinized and our entire existence reduced to one mistake?
Life does not need more harshness from us, but rather we need to be a hand that holds not a knife that flaunts. The judgments we cast on others in their weakness, we may one day stand under their weight, so let us be a support not a court, an embrace not a condemnation, for what we sow in others' weakness may be our next test, and then, only what we have offered of mercy will benefit us.
