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The Times of India
The Times of India
World
TOI World Desk

Quote of the day by Mother Teresa: "I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than…" - a timeless lesson on choosing kindness over perfection

A world that celebrates extraordinary achievement can easily overlook the quiet power of simple kindness. Mother Teresa put the two side by side directly. "I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness," she said. The quote continues to resonate because it shifts attention away from perfection and towards the intention behind everyday actions and choices. A small act of compassion may never change the world overnight, but it can genuinely change someone's entire day, sometimes their whole life. Known for dedicating decades to serving the poor and the sick, she clearly believed that genuine compassion mattered more than getting every single detail right, and that a well-meaning mistake was never really the same thing as a genuine failure. In a culture that often prizes achievement over intention, her words continue to offer a quiet but powerful correction, reminding us that genuine compassion, however imperfect, will always outweigh success built without heart.

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