Some people, urged by their jealousy, criticize the work that other people are doing the best they can. I know an artist who begun to criticize and belittle the work of other artists to feel that he is really great. What happened is that he increased his jealousy, and his criticism turned into slander. After a few years he came to me saying that the source of inspiration had dried in him and he asked, “Can you tell me the reason why this happened to me?” “The reason,” I answered, “is that you used destructive criticism against other artists to make yourself appear great, but in doing this your heart identified with the one that your mind and jealousy were fighting against. In your mind you were planning to put him out of creativity and that is what you did for yourself.”
The best way to lose your talents is to attack the talents of others. The best way to increase your inspiration is to admire values that other people have. By increasing your admiration of art objects and the artists who are creating them, you kindle new fires of inspiration within you. Jealousy hurts others, but mostly it freezes your own resources.
The principle of all this is very simple: “What you do to others, you do to yourself.” This is a lever that can move mountains of obstacles sitting on the path of your development.
-Torkom Saraydarian
Virtues & Values vol.2
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