Commentary
Have you noticed how often people evaluate their conduct by comparing themselves with others?
Imagine a driver who is cut off by another motorist. The driver may respond, “I’m not a perfect driver, but at least I’m not like that person!” People use the same logic when discussing morality: “I’m not perfect, but at least I’m not like him.” They may compare themselves with someone who committed a notorious crime and say, “I may have flaws, but at least I’m not a serial killer or a master thief.”
Avoiding such crimes is obviously good, but judging ourselves by people who behave worse is not a meaningful moral standard. The fact that someone else has done something terrible tells us nothing about whether we are acting justly, honestly, or compassionately….