Poet and novelist Hermann Hesse on what we all can do: “To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping, to smile without hostility at people and institutions, to compensate for the shortage of love in the world with more love in small, private matters; to be more faithful in our work, to show greater patience, to forgo the cheap revenge obtainable from mockery and criticism: all these are things we can do.”
Hermann Hesse’s writings have influenced some of my thinking. The early 20th Century German writer published several important books including Steppenwolf, Siddhartha, and The Glass Bead Game.
Here he summarizes several things we can all do:
- To hold our tongues when everyone is gossiping,
- To smile without hostility at people and institutions,
- To compensate for the shortage of love in the world with more love in small, private matters,
- To be more faithful in our work,
- To show greater patience,
- To forgo the cheap revenge obtainable from mockery and criticism.
Faith Venture 
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