160 he who is tested by selfadmiration should think about his own faults. if he is amazed by his virtues then let him search for the base morals in him. if his faults are completely hidden from him to the point that he thinks that he has no fault then let him know that this is an eternal calamity. he is the most deficient of people the most flawed and the weakest in discernment. first of all he is weakminded and ignorant and there is no fault worse than these two because the wise person is the one who discerns his own faults overcomes them and strives to suppress them. the fool is the one who is ignorant of his own faults either because of his lack of knowledge discernment and weak thinking or because he considers his faults to be qualities and this is the worst fault on earth. there are many people who commit adultery sodomy theft and injustice so he is amazed that these impurities come to him and that he has the strength to commit these shameful acts. know with certainty that no human being is free from deficiency except for the prophets may the blessings and peace of god be upon them all. whoever is unaware of his own faults has fallen and become foolish lowly vile base and despicable and his discernment reason and understanding are weak such that no vile person will be left behind and there is no level of baseness beneath him. so let him remedy himself by searching for his faults and occupying himself with that rather than admiring them and the faults of others which will not harm him in this world or the next. i do not know of any characteristic for hearing peoples faults except taking a lesson from what one hears of them.
١٦٠ من امتحن بالعجب فليفكر في عيوبه. فان اعجب بفضائله فليفتش ما فيه من الأخلاق الدنية، فان خفيت عليه عيوبه جملة حتى يظن أنه لا عيب فيه، فليعلم أنه مصيبة للأبد وأنه اتم الناس نقصا وأعظمهم عيوبا وأضعفهم تمييزا. وأول ذلك أنه ضعيف العقل جاهل ولا عيب أشد من هذين، لأن العاقل هو من ميز عيوب نفسه فغالبها وسعى في قمعها. والأحمق هو الذي يجهل عيوب نفسه إما لقلة علمه وتمييزه وضعف فكرته، وإما لأنه يقدر ان عيوبه خصال، وهذا أشد عيب في الأرض. وفي الناس كثير يفجرون بالزنا واللياطة والسرقة والظلم فيعجب بتأتي هذه النجوس له وبقوته على هذه المخازي. واعلم يقينا أنه لا يسلم إنسي من نقص، حاشا الأنبياء صلوات الله تعالى وسلامه عليهم أجمعين. فمن خفيت عليه عيوب نفسه فقد سقط وصار من السخف والضعة والرذالة والخسة وضعف التمييز والعقل وقلة الفهم بحيث لا يتخلف عنه متخلف من الأرذال، وبحيث ليس تحته منزلة من الدناءة، فليتدارك نفسه بالبحث عن عيوبه والاشتغال بذلك عن الإعجاب بها وعن عيوب غيره التي لا تضره لا في الدنيا ولا في الآخرة. وما أدري لسماع عيوب الناس خصلة الا الاتعاظ بما يسمع المرء منها