A cloth merchant kept two yardsticks in his shop.
One was slightly shorter than the true measure. He used it when selling cloth so that he could keep a little extra for himself.
The other was perfectly accurate. He used it when buying cloth from others, so that he would not be cheated.
One day, the merchant went to buy rice from a farmer. The farmer’s scale appeared to lean slightly to one side. The merchant grew angry and shouted, “This is unjust! Fix your scale immediately!”
But in fact, the scale was perfectly accurate.
A quarrel broke out, and the matter was brought before the village judge. After hearing both sides, the judge looked at the merchant and said calmly, “You are looking at yourself in the other.”
The merchant fell silent.
Then the judge asked him a simple question:
“Tell me, my friend, do you still carry two yardsticks in your pocket?”
The story of the merchant is not meant merely to amuse us; it calls us to self-examination. It exposes the double standards we often carry within our hearts. We measure ourselves with one yardstick—softened at the edges—and others with another that is sharp and unforgiving.
When it comes to our own faults, we excuse them, soften our judgment, or ignore them altogether. But when others fail, we notice quickly, demand strict justice, and sometimes condemn harshly. When others fall, we are quick to judge; when we fall, we minimise, justify, or overlook it entirely.
Sigmund Freud speaks of this tendency as projection in his psychodynamic theory. Projection occurs when we see in others the faults or negative traits that reflect aspects of ourselves we are unwilling or unable to acknowledge. We project onto others the very sins we refuse to confront within. This behaviour is not only hypocrisy; it is a form of self-blindness. As the village judge observed, we are often “looking at ourselves in the other.”
Jesus addresses this directly in the Sermon on the Mount: “The measure you give will be the measure you get” (Matthew 7:1–2). In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee carried two yardsticks—one for himself, marked by self-righteousness, and one for others, marked by condemnation. The tax collector carried only one: humility before God—and he was justified.
If we use a strict and merciless measure for others, that same measure will be used against us. If we choose mercy, God’s mercy overflows toward us.
Across the centuries, the saints have warned against carrying “two yardsticks.” St. Francis de Sales offers practical wisdom: “When you encounter your neighbour’s faults, reflect that you yourself are weak and subject to failings; then you will not be quick to judge but rather gentle and compassionate.” All the saints echo Christ’s teaching: replace the harsh yardstick of judgment with the merciful measure of compassion.
Do you hear the judge’s question? Be honest—answer it now.
Consider a few familiar examples. Our lateness is due to traffic; others’ lateness is “irresponsibility.” When we interrupt, it is because we are passionate; when others interrupt, they are rude. We excuse our harsh words as “necessary honesty,” while condemning the same words in others as offensive. We expect forgiveness for our mistakes, yet hesitate to forgive those of others.
Stephen Covey captured this truth well: We judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their behaviour.
I hear again the silence of the merchant before the judge. It is the same silence each of us must enter before God. Humility is the antidote to carrying two yardsticks. The Christian yardstick is the yardstick of mercy.
Jesus gives us the golden rule of judgment: “The measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Luke 6:38). He invites us to lay down the false measure of pride and take up the true measure of mercy.
Do not be discouraged if you discover that you carry two yardsticks. Spiritual growth begins with awareness. The more we align our inner and outer measures, the freer we become. Research shows that those who forgive, empathise, and judge with compassion enjoy healthier relationships, lower stress, and greater emotional resilience.
So here is the challenge, drawn from both Scripture and psychology:
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Replace judgment with understanding.
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Replace excuses with responsibility.
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Replace double standards with mercy.
Because in the end, there is only one true yardstick—the one God Himself uses: mercy balanced with truth. And when we live by it, we not only transform our own hearts, but also inspire others to do the same.
