Anything less is not acceptable. Of course such superhuman standards are only applied to oneself, rarely to others. If we examined such beliefs from a stance just a bit to the side in our busy minds, if we observed them with compassion and humor, we'd see them for the silly ego arrogance they are. Many have been taught, by parents, catechisms and culture, that self-charity equals selfishness. In experiencing the two, the difference is obvious.
Selfishness is born in fear and self-charity is born in love.
It is unfortunate that so many of us bear our own hearts and lives with so little love and tenderness for our human selves. We, as every other person, are due honor and charity. The Fragile Fortress of Thoughts Now for my main thesis, which is the idea that the Winter Blahs are not a bad thing. Nor even a good thing. In a typical early morality structure, such as a child uses to define the world, virtually everything is charged with the value judgments of g ood or b ad.