Confucius, the ancient Chinese philosopher whose teachings have influenced East Asian thought for more than two millennia, repeatedly emphasised the importance of self-reflection and self-discipline. His philosophy recognised a simple truth about human nature: it is easy to spot what is wrong with other people, but much harder to examine our own mistakes with the same honesty.His widely quoted words, “Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others,” express a simple but demanding idea: before pointing out someone else’s faults, take a closer look at your own.The exact English wording varies across…