“If anyone tells you that a certain person speaks ill of you, do not make excuses about what is said of you but answer, “He was ignorant of my other faults, else he would not have mentioned these alone.” – Epictetus
Those who attack you pin their hopes on your defensiveness. Do the unexpected on occasion, you’ll be surprised at the results. Besides, those around you are probably well aware of your faults anyway. Why try to cover them up?
If you are genuinely concerned to be superior to your former self from day to day, moment to moment, you may even find yourself thanking another for pointing out a fault of which you were not yet aware.
Gregory Hake 
Epictetus is one of my favorites. Great quote and excellent advice!
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Humility rules the day in every situation!
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Great quote. When I feel defensive I ask myself what am I trying to defend? My higher self requires no defense. The rest of me is in a work progress. No doubt there are aspects that are immature, awry or even dead on incorrect , yet when they are seen by me, I have the opportunity to change. Deliberately trying to put another on the defensive is a childish exercise in playground bullying. Don’t play!
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