Some of my readers complain when I quote a public figure they consider a bad person. For example, I once cited an interesting thought by Carlos Castaneda, and was subsequently besieged by complaints that he was a con man unworthy of our attention.

Other barrages of gripes flooded in after I referenced those highly imperfect humans Bertrand Russell, Dr. Seuss, Mahatma Gandhi, George Sand, Mother Teresa, Pema Chödrön, Albert Einstein, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Here's how I respond to these grumbles: If I refuse to learn from people unless I agree with everything they have ever said and done, I would never learn from anyone.

Should we boycott the films of Leonardo DiCaprio of because he is prone to temper tantrums? Do we have good reason to burn our copies of William's Blake's visionary poetry after we find out he lived in filth? Does the scarcity of laughter in D. H. Lawrence's work give us license to condemn it and avoid it?

Should we stop praising the life's work of Martin Luther King Jr. because he engaged in extramarital affairs and plagiarized part of his doctoral dissertation? And how about the writing of Gertrude Stein, who arrogantly believed she was as important a writer as Shakespeare and Homer? Shall we vow forevermore to never lay eyes on her words?

What about you? Have you set up your life so that everyone is either on or off your good list?

If so, consider the possibility of cultivating a capacity to derive insight from people who aren't perfect. Have fun learning from people you partially agree with and partially disagree with. Now is a favorable time to refine this capacity.