tochacha is not just for others; Torah on one foot

1) R' Gershon Edelstein z"l points out that the mitzvah of tochacha doesn't just mean going around and telling other people what they are doing wrong.  Rabbeinu Yonah writes in the Shaarei Teshuvah 2:26

וְיִתְבּוֹדֵד בְּחַדְרֵי רוּחוֹ וְיָשׁוּב יַהֲפֹךְ יַד תּוֹכַחְתּוֹ עַל נַפְשׁוֹ. וְלֹא יִסְמֹךְ עַל תּוֹכַחַת הַמּוֹכִיחַ לְבַדּוֹ.

The mitzvah is also to give oneself tochacha!  Chazal darshen הוכח תוכיח אפילו מאה פעמים.  Certainly this applies to correcting one's own shortcomings.

2) The gemara tells the famous story of the convert who came to Hillel and asked to be taught the entire Torah on one foot.  Hillel responded with a reformulation of v'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha -- don't treat others in a way that you would not want to be treated yourself.  Treat other people with kindness and respect.

What a crazy request -- the whole Torah on one foot?!  Was he just trying to test Hillel's patience?  (discussed this before here)

R' Shlomo Fischer explained that we learn in Avos that על שׁלשׁה דברים העלם עומד.  The world stands on three things: Torah, avodah, and gemillus chassadim.  

The ger was asking Hillel: if you had to choose one of the three -- one foot to stand on instead of three -- which is the most important?

To which Hilel replied: chessed comes before everything else.  Master midos and chessed, and the rest will follow.