Projection

"It takes one to know one" is more than mere cliche.
It is a projection
of things we do and say.
The beauty that we see must also lie within.
It's not simply out there,
in us it's always been.
The goodness that we find to others we ascribe.
Virtue and valued traits:
self-portraits we describe
The truth that we discern is an attribution.
Honest, steadfast display:
our manifestation.
The positive flip-side to others we assign.
What is faulty and bad
can also us malign.
It is human nature to cautiously impute
motives and behavior,
perspicaciously astute.