Book Read: Youth and Morals
The Light of Love in the Horizon of Life
Conceit Leads to People’s Resentment
The Light of Love in the Horizon of Life
Man’s spirit and expansiveness of life comes by love.
disappointment, loneliness take heed if “we extinguish the light of love from the horizon of life” (p.129)
socialization is a part of our nature and makeup, and preference for loneliness or seclusion stems from “mental imbalance” (p.129)
(the intensity of) difficulties are repelled by the light of love in one’s life
“Indeed it is true to say that there is no cure for pains, sorrows and hardships except through love.” (p.130)
We gain the ability to love others by being generously kind, and by understanding the responsibility we have towards others, to be kind, “to grant them love and affection” (p.130).
Conceit Leads to People’s Resentment
Self-love is a basic human instinct and essential.
However maladies also stem from excess of self-love, such as extravagance of it or further, conceit.
“The most fatal danger to happiness and the worst enemy of mankind are conceit and exaggerated self-confidence.” (p.132)
Those who are limited to loving themselves cannot possibly be fair in their relations or judgement and become overwhelmingly selfish and essentially conceited; making it difficult to understand other people and their feelings as well.
There is also an inappropriate expectation by the conceited on for other people’s respect, book terms it specifically as "stubborn anticipation” (p.132)
Other side evils of conceit are pessimism and suspicion, which seems to be validated when people resent the individual due in fact to their initial conceited behaviour.
These all have negative consequences that add to each other, taking more peace from the individual suffering/exhibiting.
“A brief review of the world’s history reveals that it is the conceited ones who have always resisted the calls of Prophets and Messengers” (p.133)
“Most conceited individuals are delinquents who were brought up in unstable homes and were able to obtain position in the society.” (p.133)
Genuinely distinguished individuals do not look to assert themselves by arrogance or conceit, also understanding that is not where real respect, life, happiness, etc. comes from.
Modesty is one of the best ways leading to excellent morals.
There is a difference between modesty and self-abasement: “Modesty is the manifestation of a noble trait of a great and self-confident character, while self-abasement arises from moral lowliness and loss of self-confidence.” (p.134).
Luqman advises his son, with the ayat from the Qur’an re conceit, 31:18.
“And do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exulting overmuch; surely Allah does not love any self-conceited boaster.” (31:18, Holy Qur’an)
Conceit makes even ill actions of the conceited seem good to them, because their conceit “embellishes” the act, as described by Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (A.S.) in Wasa’il al-Shiah, vol. 1, p. 74.
Conceited people suffer from weakness of the mind.
“He whose mind is weakened, his pride is strengthened.” - Imam Ali (A.S.) - Ghurur al-Hikam, p.651
Many more beautiful and educational quotes, a must read, aA.
