Thoughts from the right margin

"Sometimes I really wonder whether or not I'm supposed to be the man I am. I often think about the decisions that I made and wonder if making a better decision would still make me who I am. I haven't always had people's best intentions at heart. I have been selfish. I turned my back on those who befriended me for another set of friends. I asked for forgiveness only to relinquish my own demons. I often talked behind people's backs. I have done much bad, however, I still stand as a person who recognizes those evils and persists on the road to Godliness."

How familiar does this sound? How often do we find this statement to be laughable when spoken by a public figure? Would it matter if they were a person like me or you? What if you significant other spoke these words? Does forgiveness have a double-standard? What do you think?