Our souls may lose their peace and even disturb other people's

Hear, O seeker of truth, the gentle yet piercing wisdom of Saint Teresa of Avila: “Our souls may lose their peace and even disturb other people's, if we are always criticizing trivial actions – which often are not real defects at all, but we construe them wrongly through our ignorance of their motives.” These words come like a mirror held to the restless human heart, showing how often our judgments, made in haste and ignorance, wound not only others but ourselves. For criticism born of pride or blindness is like a stone thrown into still waters—it ripples outward, spreading disturbance far beyond its first strike.

The origin of these words lies in Teresa’s own life as a reformer, mystic, and guide of souls. Living in the 16th century, she labored to renew the Carmelite order, surrounded by both admiration and opposition. She saw firsthand how murmurs, suspicions, and trivial criticisms poisoned communities meant for prayer and peace. Thus, she warned her followers: beware of casting judgment on what you do not understand, for in doing so you may destroy not only another’s peace but your own. In this, she echoes the eternal counsel of Christ, who said, “Judge not, lest you be judged.”

The ancients also knew this danger. The Stoics declared that most of our suffering comes not from events themselves, but from the judgments we place upon them. Confucius taught that harmony is broken not by great crimes alone, but by petty slanders and misjudgments whispered among men. In every age, wise voices have risen to say: the ungoverned tongue can destroy peace more swiftly than the sword. Saint Teresa’s words are part of this chorus, calling us to discipline not only our deeds but our thoughts about others.

History offers us vivid examples. Consider the life of Socrates, condemned by his city not for true crimes, but for suspicions and false judgments about his motives. Athens, in its ignorance, mistook his questioning for corruption, and in its rashness, poisoned its own peace by silencing its wisest citizen. Or think of Joan of Arc, accused of heresy and witchcraft by those who misconstrued her actions and motives. Their criticisms, rooted in prejudice and fear, led not to truth but to tragedy. Both stories reveal how ignorance of motives and the eagerness to criticize can destroy the harmony of entire communities.

Yet Saint Teresa’s warning is not only about others—it is about ourselves. She tells us that when we are quick to criticize, our own souls lose their peace. For constant suspicion and fault-finding hardens the heart, filling it with unrest. A person who always sees flaws in others cannot see beauty, cannot find gratitude, cannot dwell in serenity. Instead, they become prisoners of their own bitterness. Thus, her words are both a shield for others and a medicine for our own souls.

The lesson is clear: we must learn to suspend judgment, especially in matters that are small or motives we cannot know. Before criticizing, ask yourself: do I see clearly, or am I blinded by ignorance or pride? Is this a true defect, or simply my misunderstanding? In choosing patience over criticism, you protect both your own peace and that of those around you. The path of peace is built not only by great deeds of love, but by small refusals to judge hastily.

Practical wisdom flows from this. When tempted to criticize, pause, and instead seek to understand. Ask questions rather than assume. If correction must be made, do it gently, with humility and love, not with harshness. Train your heart to notice the good in others more than their failings. And when you cannot see their motives clearly, entrust them to God rather than to your own narrow judgment. In this way, your soul will remain at peace, and you will become a source of harmony rather than discord.

So remember the teaching of Saint Teresa of Avila: do not let your peace be stolen by trivial criticism, nor disturb others with judgments born of ignorance. In humility, choose silence over slander, understanding over suspicion, and peace over pride. For in doing so, you guard your own soul, and you help weave a world where love triumphs over discord, and where harmony is preserved like a sacred flame.