Bit by Bit - Chapter 23, Part 19

Trey Smith

If you step on a stranger's foot in the market place, you apologize at length for your carelessness. If you step on your older brother's foot, you give him an affectionate pat, and if you step on your parent's foot, you know you are already forgiven. So it is said, Perfect ritual makes no distinction of persons; perfect righteousness takes no account of things; perfect knowledge does not scheme; perfect benevolence knows no affection; perfect trust dispenses with gold.
~ Burton Watson translation ~

I suppose it is human nature to discriminate. If someone we favor commits a social guffaw, we are much more likely to give that person a pass. However, if someone we don't favor commits the same type of social mistake, we are much more likely NOT to give that person a pass. Same error, different reactions.

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