Pride
Pride is defined as the refusal to accept humiliation and an assertion of one’s dignity. However, excessive pride can lead to arrogance, causing individuals to lose significantly. Pride can be a double-edged sword; without moderation, it may bring harm to the bearer. True pride is embodied only by the strong and courageous who cultivate self-respect and strength within themselves. In this article, we will explore the thoughts of writers and poets on pride and self-esteem.
Quotes on Pride and Self-Esteem
- Self-esteem means to rise above and distance oneself from those who belittle your worth.
- Self-esteem is not synonymous with a sarcastic tongue or arrogance; it is choosing to avoid anything that undermines your value.
- My dignity and self-esteem come above all; no one deserves my subjugation, even momentarily.
- In the law of pride, caring for those who disregard you is an insult.
- Self-respect may lead to the end of a thousand friendships and a thousand loves.
- Learn from the eagle: vision, self-esteem, and freedom.
- Self-esteem provides us with a sense of sufficiency despite our needs.
- Out of respect, do not force yourself upon anyone, nor force anyone to accept you.
- Self-esteem is acting as though you are content with anything, even at a time of great need.
- Self-respect means laughing in front of you while a burning turmoil rages inside me.
- Love is beautiful, but self-esteem is even more beautiful.
- The beauty of self-esteem lies in feeling fulfilled even in moments of need.
- The highest form of self-respect is remaining silent when others expect a verbal explosion from you.
- My self-respect compels me not to impose it on those who do not appreciate it.
- Our misinterpretation of self-esteem leads to precious opportunities being squandered and apologies becoming taboo.
- According to the principles of self-respect, those who are absent for too long become strangers.
- Self-esteem means to rise above and distance oneself from those who belittle your worth.
Poetry on Pride and Self-Esteem
Al-Mutanabbi, born Ahmad ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Hassan ibn Abd al-Samad al-Ju’fi al-Kufi al-Kindi, was a distinguished poet noted for his praises of Sayf al-Dawla and Kafur al-Ikhshidi, among others. In one of his celebrated verses, he states:
It is enough of a disease for you to see death as a cure.
And how sufficient are the fatalities if they are only wishes.
You longed for it when you wished to see a friend, but either a foe or fate resisted you.
If you are content to live in humiliation,
Then do not prepare the precious Yemeni sword.
Nor lengthen the spears for a raid,
Nor ask for the noble steeds of old.
For what benefit is it to lions to possess shame from undernourishment?
And do not be fearful until you become ferocious.
I loved you before my heart loved you from afar,
But it was treacherous; so be reliable.
And I know that separation will make you complain later,
So you are not my heart if I see you distressing.
For the tears of the eye are betrayal by their Lord,
If they are in pursuit of the traitors’ company.
If generosity does not grant relief from harm,
Then neither thanks nor wealth will be lasting.
And the soul has morals that reflect its worth,
Is it true that generosity is what was bestowed or merely giving?
Less longing, O heart, perhaps you have seen,
I see you pure of friendship from one who is not.
I was created to be sociable; if I returned to my youth,
I would have parted from my elderly heart, in tears.
But in Fustat (Old Cairo), I had a life at its peak,
And my advice, passion, and my verses.
And we cried out, filling the air with our cries,
This way, we found it easy and light-footed behind the humble.
Trampled by hands whenever we meet with light,
We inscribe on its neck tails of aspirations.
As I glance upon the dark sky at night,
I see far-off figures that are just as they are.
And for the hidden bell, it sets up sounds,
They think it’s the echo of their conscience that calls.
They wrestle the knights of dawn with their reins,
Like serpents around our necks.
With resolute purpose, the body proceeds in the saddle,
And the heart walks within, aligned with its body.
The targets of Kafur are different than others,
And whoever seeks the sea finds only its currents.
Thus, they brought us to human kind in our era,
And left purity behind with stains.
They surpass those who show kindness to the one,
Where we see their kindness and generosity.
A young man, however, whenever we rode upon the backs of our elders,
To reach his time was an expectation of reunion.
His nobility was raised above the auxiliary in virtue,
So only virtues are attributed to its acts.
Through courtesy, he removes the enmity of tyrants,
And if they do not perish, he would obliterate foes.
O father of musk, with that face I once longed for,
And for this day I had hope of meeting.
I encountered the mirage—beyond it, I roamed,
And I trekked through the intense climate that leaves one longing.
O father of all that is pleasant, not just musk alone,
And every cloud is not special to the delightful winds.
It signifies with one meaning, every grand being,
And the Merciful One has gathered all meanings in you.
If people claimed the heights by means of generosity,
Then you give in your generosity the heights.
And rarely will a man visit you,
And return bearing the kingship of the two valleys.
For you have bestowed the army that came as a conqueror,
To your solitary inquiry, which has come healthily.
And you regard the world with the contempt of a shrewd one,
Seeing in it none but transient grooves.
And you have not been among those who have grasped kingship through wishes,
But only in days of hard-fought endeavors.
Your adversaries see it in the land as endeavors,
While you see it in the heavens as a rise.
You donned the dark dust of the storm’s aftermath, as if,
You see nothing else but the clear skies above.
And you were led to it by every relentless swimmer,
Who leads you in anger yet calms you when at ease.
And someone from whom, command him to obey,
Yet he resists if you fear or become undeniable.
And brown with twenty years, he is pleased, so let him be,
And he will grant you the horses he leads.
Insights on Pride and Arrogance
- Honesty, sincerity, simplicity, humility, generosity, absence of arrogance, and the ability to serve others are attributes within reach of every soul and form the true foundations of our spiritual lives.
- I resemble no one; I thrive on boundless confidence, turning to those I choose at my leisure.
- We are humble without weakness and strong without arrogance.
- Three signs of foolishness are stubbornness, arrogance, and clinging to opinions.
- Arrogance is more indicative of humiliation than true pride.
- Arrogance is merely one of the faces of ignorance.
- People often mistakenly believe that humility vanquishes pride. There are numerous situations where humility can be utterly futile and additionally serve as an obstruction, especially when dealing with the arrogant, who may harbor envy or other feelings towards you.
- The insistence on being liked is one of the greatest forms of arrogance.
- A mere ounce of arrogance can spoil a ton of merit.
- Arrogance is the quicksand in which reason drowns.
- Beware of self-satisfaction; it can lead to lethargy; be cautious of vanity, as it can drag you into foolishness; and avoid arrogance, for it reveals all your shortcomings rather than concealing them.