The Weak and The Strong

Ἀδελφὸς ἠρώτησε τὸν ἀββᾶν Ματόην, λέγων· Τί ποιήσω; ὅτι ἡ γλῶσσά μου θλίβει με· καὶ ὅταν ἔρχωμαι ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐ δύναμαι κατασχείν αὐτήν· ἀλλὰ κατακρίνω αὐτοὺς ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καὶ έλέγχω αὐτοὺς. Τί οὖν ποιήσω; Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ γέρων εἶπεν· Εἰ οὐ δύνασαι κατέχειν ἑαυτὸν, φύγε καταμόνας. Ἀσθένεια γάρ ἐστιν. Ὁ δὲ καθήμενος μετὰ ἀδελφῶν, οὐκ ὀφείλει εἶναι τετραγωνιαῖος, ἀλλὰ στρογγὺλος, ἵνα πρὸς πάντας κυλίηται. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ γέρων· Οὐ κατὰ ἀρετὴν κάθημαι καταμόνας, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀσθενειαν· δυνατοὶ γάρ εἰσιν, οἱ ἔρχόμενοι εἰς τὸ μέσον τῶν ἀνθρώπων.  ᾽Αποφθεγματα των ἀγιων γεροντων, Παλλαδιος

A brother questioned Father Matoes, saying, ' What should I do? My tongue troubles me. When I go out into the midst of men I am not able to control it. I condemn them in every good work of theirs and dishonour them. What then should I do?' And the elder answered, ' If you are not able to control yourself, flee to solitude. For you are weak. Those who sit with men should not be a triangle but a sphere that they roll along with everyone. It is not by virtue that I sit alone but on account of weakness; the strong go out into the midst of men.' Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Palladius of Galatia