Sep. 28th, 2010 at 8:24 PM
.......
Curious, odd compounds are these fellow-creatures, at whose mercy you will be full of fads and eccentricities,of whims and fancies; but the more closely we study their little foibles of one sort and another in the inner life which we see, the more surely is the conviction borne in upon us of the likeness of their weaknesses to our own. The similarity would be intolerable, if a happy egotism did not often render us forgetful of it. Hence the need of an infinite patience and of an ever-tender charity toward these fellow-creatures; have they not to exercise the same toward us?
(William Osler, from "Aequanimitas")

Comments
Also...that icon is ADORABLE. Is it a picture from a children's book?
:-)
Take a look at his full essay, "Aequanimitas"--I'd posted it to my LJ yesterday.
Not sure where the icon is from--I like it because owls are a symbol of wisdom. It was made by anastgal, if you like the icon, help yourself ;)
And I didn't know Osler was a "renowned practical joker", how intriguing!