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Proverb Expansions | Proverb Essays

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DISCLAIMER: These Expansions / Short Essays have been compiled especially keeping in mind the (CSS/PSC Exams) and have been taken from many sources (Books, Internet Sources like CSS Forum, Notes, etc). The main contributor is Xuhaib Ahmed Pirzada. We at techurdu.net have only collected and compiled these (with necessary grammatical corrections and additions). Also, the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in these are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of Tech Urdu and its staff._ Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani (Tech Urdu CEO)

Contents

How To Write a Proverb Expansion?

Prior to diving into the expansion of proverbs, let’s briefly talk about how to write a proverb expansion or essay.

Expansion of an idea or expansion of a proverb is simple and straightforward. It involves 5 easy steps. They are:

Step 1: Understand the symbol of the words in the proverb: Most proverbs or ideas are symbolic. The name of a place or animal or thing or person stands as a symbol of some quality. We have to try to understand that in the context of the proverb.

For example take the proverb, ‘Rome was not built in a day‘. Here the noun ‘Rome’ is the name of a place. We also (should) know that Rome was a great city. So what does Rome stand for? It stands for Greatness or success. (Remember it was a great city).

Or take the example of ‘All that glitters is not gold‘. Here we have the noun ‘gold’. It is the name of a thing. We know that gold is a precious metal. So what does gold stand for? It stands for precious.

Step 2: Substitute the meaning in the idea or the proverb: Take the two previous examples.

‘Rome was not built in a day’ and ‘All that glitters is not gold’. Now substitute the symbols we found out earlier in the sentences. What do we have?

‘Greatness or success was not built in a day’
‘All that glitters is not precious’
The proverb is now decoded and ready for understanding.

Step 3: Look for a story or anecdote or example or illustration: Now that you have understood what the proverb stands for or what the proverb means, we should look for a suitable example to illustrate it.

We can also look for example from today’s world. We could, for example, for the proverb ‘Rome was not built in a day’, talk about the effort put in by Barack Obama to achieve greatness, and that it took many years to build it, that it did not happen overnight.

Step 4: Look for similar proverbs or ideas: “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success” by Napoleon Hill is similar to ‘Rome was not built in a day’; so is the proverb ‘Do not judge the book by its cover’ similar to ‘All that glitters is not precious’.

Step 5: Sum up the paragraph: Use summing up words or phrases to indicate that you have finished the expansion and intend to sum it up. You could use ‘Thus’ or ‘In fine’ or ‘So’ or ‘The proverb advises that’. Let the reader know that you are signing off. _ Source

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Truth is Beauty, Beauty Truth

“Truth is beauty, beauty truth. That is all ye know on earth And all you need to know.

These lines occur in Keats’s famous poem ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn.’ In these lines, the poet emphasizes the identity of beauty and truth. According to him, only truth represents beauty, a fact all humans should bear in mind. Great truths are communicated by works of art: literature, sculpture, architecture, paintings, films or other effective media. Every portrait painted is either a truth or a lie or a mixture of the two. Its beauty depends on the degree of truth, and honesty depicted in it. An artist who puts his heart and soul in his work and applies true tones of colour, theme and dedication, is able to produce a beautiful piece. It would be a synthesis of beauty and truth. In fact, beauty and truth, like arts and sciences, form together with a kind of commonwealth in which each serves the other. Whatever else truth may be, there is no doubt as to its being valuable, not merely in the sense that it is good to look at, but also it does good to those who see it, know it and act upon it. Like truth, beauty is dynamic and vital; no wonder the poet links them to be the same.

That truth is beauty, beauty truth is most significantly illustrated by the beauty that lies in the creative arts. The truth when depicted in a piece of art — a painting, a poem, a musical lyric or a symbolic dance — becomes a personified beauty. The painter, the poet, the musician or the dancer makes the truth so beautiful that it permeates the whole being of the viewer, the reader or the listener. It leaves a life-long impression on the mind provided one is receptive and the message conveyed by the artist is infinitely true. Thus, beauty is truth and truth is beauty. This is the basic truth which all humans should know. Without the realisation of the beautiful, without the refinement of the heart and consciousness, earthly existence would become cruel and deadly. However, enchanting from outside, falsehood is ugly inside. Truth, even if bitter at times, is essentially and ultimately beautiful.

Our Deeds Dominate Us as Much as we Determine Our Deeds

I think therefore I am,” said Descartes, the famous French philosopher. For him, our thoughts determine us as entities. This is true to a very large extent, as our actions are preceded by thoughts, either at the conscious or unconscious level. However, thoughts being at an abstract level are not tangible enough to be taken notice of. Hence, we are judged only by our deeds. A person is known by his deeds. If a person is helpful, polite and considerate in his actions towards his fellow-beings, he is known as a kind person. The converse is equally true. A mean, rude and selfish person is regarded as bad. Our behaviour, ‘good’ or ‘bad’, certainly shapes our persona and determines our personality. Thus, our deeds determine us as they condition our behaviour and predispose us to act in a certain way. Some believe that “man is master of his destiny.” This means by will-power alone we can fully determine and control our actions and thereby change the course of fate. This brings us to the central question of philosophy — free-will vs. pre-determination. But many people believe in the inscrutable hand of fate before which man is helpless. However, the philosophical tradition of deeds determining fate cannot easily be dismissed. The old Biblical saying may be quoted here — “As you sow, so shall ye reap.”

This concept implies that we are a product of our actions — both past and present. This boils down to the fact that our deeds determine us. On the other hand, if we believe in the existence of free-will, then we alone determine our deeds and are completely in control of our lives. This implies that we determine our deeds.

Perhaps both concepts are equally true and it depends on the immediate circumstances. Sometimes we may determine our deeds and at other times our deeds may determine us. We may say that we and our deeds are inextricably linked, and determined and governed by each other. It means a good deed determines that we become good and by becoming good we determine that our future deeds are good, and the wheel comes full circle.

Truth May be Eclipsed but Not Extinguished

The word ‘truth’ is an abstract noun, but we use many adjectives to describe it: the plain truth, the simple truth, the honest truth, the sober truth, the exact truth, etc. From these phrases, it emerges that truth is associated with plainness, simplicity, honesty, sobriety, accuracy, etc. — all desirable, ethically correct virtues.

However, we also use expressions like the bitter truth and the naked truth and this hints at the fact that truth is not always palatable. It is often an impediment, an embarrassment, a disappointment or even a threat. When truth becomes an unwanted stumbling block, man resorts to a cover-up, called a lie. If we probe the anatomy of a lie we come up with all that is undesirable, imperfect, corrupt, negative and vicious in human nature. Truth is light and every falsehood symbolises darkness and every time we lie we are actually attempting to obscure light and bring on darkness.

What we must discover is whether one can succeed in snuffing out the candle of truth altogether. Is the prevailing darkness final or does the darkness at noon give way to light as is observed in an eclipse? An eclipse is a natural phenomenon when a temporary shadow is cast on the sun or the moon. After a predictable time-span, the shadow passes and the sun or the moon begins shining in all its glory. It is to be seen whether the same is the case when an untruth tries to eclipse the truth. History gives us countless examples proving that truth has sometimes been obscured, but never obliterated. Shakespeare’s plays often underscore the triumph of good over evil, virtue over vice, truth over falsehood. Tolstoy believed that truth, beauty and goodness combined was a force potent enough to
vanquish evil forever. In the modern everyday world too there is fresh evidence daily of the subversion of truth for various reasons. Scams and scandals rock economic and political foundations at frequent intervals but the very fact that they are labelled as such indicates that the eclipse will be over and the truth will soon be out. Philip Lee Ralph says: People still believe, deep in their hearts, that truth is stronger than falsehood and will triumph over it: that integrity is better than expediency, that right is better than might.

Knowledge is Power

People may think that it is might that rules. Indeed, even now there are many worshippers of brute power. But a little thinking will show that it is the knowledge that rules the world. A man of knowledge possesses immense influence. He has the knowledge of the men and matters around him which mystify or baffle the ignorant. If he is a scientist, he studies the phenomena of nature and chains the mighty forces of nature and enlists them to human service. Thus today the forces of nature give us light, energy, comfort and power. A man of knowledge understands his fellow men and judges them rightly. That is why it becomes easy for him to lead them. He inspires confidence which an ignorant man, however, powerful he otherwise may be, is incapable of doing. In times of danger, the man of knowledge proves himself to be a man of resource. Lastly, such a man knows himself and understands himself. There is no knowledge greater than the knowledge of self. Knowing oneself means mastering one’s passions and controlling one’s faculties. These give one immense power.

So the men of knowledge have always achieved wonders. Ulysses, the Greek hero, contributed more to the capture of Troy by his wisdom than Ajax did by his strength, or Achilles did by his courage. It was Archimedes the savant, (a very knowledgeable person) who saved Syracuse from Marcellus and his soldiers when the combined efforts of the army and fleet of King Hiero of Syracuse could do very little. Roger Bacon, the medieval scientist, was thought to have supernatural powers, because of his immense knowledge. The Bible says ‘Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.’ Hence, it can safely be said that ‘Knowledge is Power’.

If you would have Peace, must you Prepare for War?

In the era of superpower rivalry, it was felt that to be prepared for war was one of the most effective means of preserving peace. At first hearing, this piece of advice sounds plausible. It means that if a nation is well-armed and ready for war, other nations will be chary of attacking it. In this way, it will avoid war and have peace. Whereas an unarmed nation will be easy prey to an enemy. No doubt there is an element of truth in it. But does preparation for war really make for peace? Let us examine this statement. A tree must be judged by its fruit. In 1914, all the big nations of Europe (except, perhaps, England) were armed to the teeth.

What was the result? Peace? No, war _____ the most widespread and devastating war in the world’s history. It was the enormous enlargement of armies and fleets, the crushing burden of ever-growing armaments, and the mutual fear and suspicion engendered thereby, which finally resulted in the explosion of the first Great War. The lesson of that Great War is that if you prepare for war you will have war. This has since been proved time and again renewed in the second World War, in the wars between India and Pakistan, in the Gulf War. That method of securing peace has failed miserably.

We must take another motto: If you would have peace, prepare for the place. Let the nations prepare for peace, by cultivating mutual goodwill, by the amicable settlement of disputes by arbitration, by agreeing to universal disarmament by friendly co-operation instead of suspicious rivalry. Ultimately to preserve peace, the causes of war need to be eliminated. The disparities between the rich and the poor, between the exploiters and the exploited, have to be eliminated. It is not arming oneself with weapons, but arming oneself with knowledge, development and belief in the unity of mankind which can herald an era of peace.

Democracy

THE DOCTRINE THAT THE CURES FOR THE EVILS OF DEMOCRACY IS MORE DEMOCRACY IS LIKE SAYING THAT THE CURE OF CRIME IS MOR CRIME. (H. L. MENCKEN)

Democracy has been described as the best form of government. But the best may not be good. When we say that something is good, it means it possesses intrinsic goodness, an absolute quality. Something which is “the best” is always in relation or comparison to other things. Democracy may be the best form of government but only in relation to various other forms of government hitherto tried by man. Democracy is certainly not a flawless or ideal system of government. Man is still groping in the dark to discover an ideal system. The ideal may be unachievable but man, as a result of his continued search, may discover a vastly improved system in place of the democracy we know of today. Democracy has obvious evils through the nature and magnitude of these evils may differ from country to country. Democracy can’t effectively deal with evils originating from economic insecurity, inherent weaknesses of capitalism, liberty taken as licence, exploitative and dictatorial tendencies of “democratic” rulers, religious extremism, corruption, and the character and mindset of the rulers as well as the ruled. According to certain ‘sages’, the cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy. “Like curing the like” may be a golden principle of Homeopathy, but it does not certainly apply to politics. Here the therapy has got to be different. ‘Unlike curing the unlike’ would be more to the point.

Those who believe in the doctrine of ‘more democracy’ are either naïve, self-styled intellectuals for whom simplistic solutions to grave problems are perfectly satisfactory or those clever vested interests who wish to continue, election after election, their loot and plunder. We, in Pakistan; have seen many general elections and each time the brand of rulers these elections throw up happens to be worse than the previous one. I do not wish to suggest that democracy should be done away with. What I emphasize is that the evils of democracy should be dealt with an iron hand. They should be crushed as and when they raise their head. If we do not nip the evil in the bud, it will assume menacing proportions by the time next elections and held. ‘More democracy’ theory is simply casuistry _______ the use of clever arguments to trick people. Surely one would not advise a diabetic to eat more sweets if he wishes to get rid of diabetes.

Liberty is Not a Personal Affair; it is a Social Contract

His religion, his political beliefs, the way he lives his life so long as it does not affect others adversely, are on his personal affairs. But the bounds of his liberty do not extend beyond that. He can claim liberty but not licence. Immunity from all law and all restraint is anarchy. It jeopardises liberty rather than preserve it. In the absence of laws made by the State, the law of jungle is likely to prevail. That would hardly be conducive to the promotion of liberty. The freedom one demands ought to teach one to respect the freedom of others. If an individual does not respect the freedom of others, they will not respect his. By challenging their freedom, he will only be putting his freedom in peril. He is free to believe in what he likes but if his views clash with the views held by others, he must allow them the freedom to hold theirs.

The liberty of one individual has always to be restrained so that the liberty of others may be adequately accommodated, for liberty is not a personal affair only but a social contract. One has the liberty to play the guitar in one’s house, but one must play it in such a way that one does not disturb others, for they have the liberty to enjoy uninterrupted hours of work or sleep. John Stuart Mills gives a very apt remark, “The liberty of the individual must be thus far limited, he must not make himself a nuisance to other people.” Charles, Baron de Montesquieu clinches the whole issue when he says, “Liberty is the right to do everything which the laws allow.”

Life is Action, Not Contemplation

It was the well known German poet and philosopher Goethe, who wrote this thought-provoking line which inspires us to know the real meaning of life. Ordinarily, life appears to us as an admixture of similarities and dissimilarities, birth and death, sorrow and happiness. Similarly, contemplation and action are two important facts in life. One is likely to get a contemplative mood every now and then, followed by an urge to go for instantaneous action.

Contemplation can be interpreted in two ways. According to the first interpretation, it is akin to meditation and is a positive quality. It helps one to acquire peace of mind and tranquillity. Particularly, when a person faces adverse circumstances and is denied hope, he has no course left open to him but to derive sustenance from contemplation and meditation in order to recover his confidence and recharge the battery of his mind. On the other hand, contemplation can also imply just brooding over the past happenings. This is the worst kind of mental exercise which any sensible person should dislike to perform. Such a state of mind makes him utterly inactive. He loses all initiative, desire and enthusiasm, Goethe referred to as bad. Every great man’s story of success is a story of his actions.

All the great statesmen, builders of nations scientists explorers, navigators, mountaineers, sportsmen have been men of action. Similarly, business and trade have developed tremendously simply because some men of action have worked in this field. All these people did not just brood over their failure, nor did they just spend their lives in idle contemplation. They rose to the occasion, fought the challenges of life valiantly and ultimately succeeded in their objectives. These great men learnt the secret of success which, according to them, consists in action, and not in idle contemplation.

Empty Vessels Make the Most Sound

Vessels which are empty make a loud sound when struck with something. But filled vessels make less sound. This is true in the case of people also. Some people are very talkative and go on speaking continuously. But others may be serious and talk less. Those people who go on taking for hours together need not be taken seriously. They are most probably empty-heated people with no sense in their talk. They do not give much thought to what they are talking. Such people are devoid of action also. They are most probably empty-headed people with no sense in their talk. They do not give much thought to what they are talking. Such people are devoid of action also. They usually boast that they will do this and that. But those people who talk less are different. Every word they speak is actually meant and hence to be taken seriously. Such people put forth a lot of sense into their talk. These kinds of people are usually clever and are capable of performing everything they say. They would not say anything if they don’t mean it. They believe more in action than in words. They are like filled vessels which make less noise.

Example Is Better Than Precept

The most important fact is that we must be perfect in our dealings and behaviour. A great leader becomes most respected when his dealings are sincere to his preaches. Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi attracted people more by their humbleness and kind nature. They lived as they told others to do. Thus it is conclusive that we must live as we preach and become role models to others. But as too much of anything is dangerous, so too much of the precepts is also harmful. Jawaharlal Nehru was against to give too many instructions and advises to children. Whatever it may be elders should ever be perfect examples of youngsters to follow and then only their precept becomes meaningful.

Fine Feathers Make Fine Birds

We usually call a bird beautiful if its plumage is attractive. Some birds have highly coloured and attractive plumage. Parrots are beautiful with their greenish body and red beaks. Blue lark looks extremely beautiful with its blue feathers. These birds look attractive because of their external appearance. They offer pleasure to our eyes with their appearance. Similarly, a person may be more impressive if he wears fine clothes. Actually, he may not be a cleaver or impressive person. But his clothes deceive us. At first sight, he stamps an impression on us and this impression may influence us in our dealings with him also. To impress interviewers, a candidate should be smartly dressed. If a person with enough merit dresses smartly, he will be able to impress others much more easily than otherwise. And this impression will also be lasting. Therefore it is always prudent to dress smartly on important occasions. This doesn’t mean that we should be overdressed. But smart appearance always makes the best impression.

The failure says that the Grapes are sour

Often things which we fail to get our brand as worthless. One who tries to pass an interview for a job and fails to pass will say later on that the job was not worth securing. This is actually a face-saving excuse. Had he passed the interview, he would have been very happy and proud of his achievement. The proverb originated from the fable of the fox and the grapes. In it, a fox tries to get a bunch of ripe grapes beyond his reach. Even after several leaps, he failed to get it. Then the fox went off saying that the grapes were so sour that he did not want it. In this same manner, those who could not attain success in their attempt will say that they are not willing to go through the attempt. But it indirectly means that they are not suitable for people to have success in their lives.

Prosperity Make Friends-Adversity Tries Them

When somebody prospers, many people get attracted to him. They will act as his well-wishers and friends with the selfish aim of sharing his wealth. But if some misfortune befalls him, all those people who had till then acted as his friends will desert him. Such selfish people are not true friends. A real friend will stand by him in times of joy as well as sorrow. He will never leave a person if some misfortune strikes him. Instead, he will try to help the unfortunate man as much as possible. Riches and prosperity attract people just like a magnet to attract iron filings. They will flock and cling to the person who has wealth. They will offer all sorts of false promises to him. Such friends will say that they are ready to give him as much money as he might need knowing that a wealthy man will never be in need of borrowed money. Even if they lend him money, they are sure that they will get back. A foolish man who is rich will take these selfish people for real friends. But real friends can only be recognized in times of adversity. His sincerity will reveal itself in such a time. Such a friend is invaluable. Unfortunately, it is difficult to test a man whether he is sincere or not unless such a time comes. So we should be careful in selecting friends. We should never rely on them too much. Prosperity is something that creates friends. Only adversity can test their sincerity.

The Bull Must Be Taken By The Horns

In Spain bullfights are common. It is an interesting sport in which a man meets a charging bull in an arena. He tries to avoid the danger of being gored by the bull. Usually, he grasps the bull by its horns and then by using great strength brings the bull by its horns and then by using great strength brings the bull to a dispirited stop. This can only be done by grappling the charging bull by the horns. Trying to avoid the horns and slipping off brings great danger to the fighter. Such an example can be taken in real life also. Life brings forth many dangers like the charging bull. If we get frightened and try to avoid them we will not be able to overcome the danger. The best way is to find the root cause of the problem and face it boldly. It might be difficult but not impossible. History is full of such men, heroes who have courageously faced life at its worst. They had succeeded in overcoming the problems. Luck usually smiles on the bold. It is always better to take risk than run away from it and get defeated. Only a coward turns his back on dangers. Calmly and boldly facing those dangers is the best way to fight them. And that usually brings success.

Man probes into space but not into himself

The more time passes the more man goes away of self. He enters into materialistic world and space and keeps away from spirituality and self. The self which is the essence, but it is neglected. Man has discovered atom and stars but has never seen into himself. Self has supernatural secrets to tell, but man is busy with space. He discovers the outer world but avoids inner mysteries.

All the Sufi, mystics and wise people said to know “self”. They discovered the real quest. The great philosopher Socrates says, ” Know thyself.”Self tells all things. When one knows self, he knows nature. However, man is looking at things in the world and cosmos and doesn’t peep into himself. Rumi Says, “Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”

The great philosopher and universal poet Moulana Jalaldeen Rumi tried to find God on Cristian Cross; he went at Hindu temples and pagodas, he searched into cave Hira; he went into Kaba and Macca, he looked into valleys and mountains, but God was not into heights and depths. Then, he sought into himself into his heart, and God was present. As Baba Bulleh Shah says, “You run to enter your mosques and temples, but you never entered your own heart.”

Man discovers photons but doesn’t probe into himself. He tries to live on Mars but doesn’t want to see the life of self. He tries to know where planet Pluto is gone but doesn’t want to know where he is derailed. He discovers planets like super-earth but doesn’t look for the fact. And, Indeed, man probes into space, not into himself. Bulleh Shah says, “We have drowned in the river of Self.”

The Nearer the Church the Farther From God

Hundreds of years of worship are useless without true love. Those who live days and nights in churches, and world dwells in their hearts; God is very far away from them. The only bond which makes bondage between God and Man of God is love. Worship goes futile without love. Those who live in churches, temples and mosques, and love for God is not in their hearts, God is farther from them.

When there was no time, cause, season, theory and reason, there was an existence of love. This entire cosmos is created for love. God is love, and He loves the lovers not worshipers. Satan is known as the greatest worshiper of God but God is farther from him. On account of Satan is worshiper not lover. Moulana Jalal Din Rumi says, “Without love, all worship is a burden.” Indeed, those who live in the place of worship, they are not pious, unless they are lovers of God.

This is not just for Christians but for all. The Nearer the Temple The Farther From Buddha or the Nearer the Mosque The Farther From Allah. The prophet Mohammad PBUH says, “Worship your Lord as if you see him during worship, and if you cannot do that, then worship as if He sees you ” In both conditions, the world doesn’t come in one’s mind. If one cannot take one condition, then, it is like The Nearer the Church the Farther From God.

All the mystics, Sufi and pious people of the world have given value to love. They believe if God is not present in one’s heart, and he prays days and nights; he is an infidel. As Maruf Kerkhi PBUH says, “If you pray and World comes in your mind, then, you prostrate to the world.”

If winter comes, can spring be far behind?

Birds get frozen; flowers get withered, from a pebble of the earth to the star of the sky all get silenced. It is the time when winter jumps in. Torments, tensions, tragedies, tortures come up when the west wind of winter blows. Winter is the time of sweet sorrowfulness and dangerous difficulties. However, when spring comes it brings gala days; birds fly up, and flowers get bloomed. Oh! Spring, you are hope in the calamities of life. Winter is the symbol of destruction and bareness whereas spring is the symbol of hope and fruitfulness.

Around 250 thousand years ago a winter in Rome went on, in which slaves were smashed and slaughtered. Cruelty and ignorance were at peaks. At that time, a man of might and words stood like an insurmountable mountain and fought against the Roman Republic for slaves. That man was Spartacus. He had almost perished the Government, but he was chopped in Third Servile War. But when he was martyred he said these words. “I will come again, not alone, but with millions.” And, yes, he came again with spring in Rome and, which perished the winter of that time.

The winter of crises, problems and destruction has charged our country Pakistan. It has brought many critical circumstances which have taken the lives of thousands. But hopeful spring is behind and clouds of happiness are forecast which will bring pleasures and prosperity in Pakistan. Moulana Jalal Din Rumi says, “Don’t grieve, whatever you lose comes in another form.” So, one should push the winter out, and make outlets for spring to come in. And, the upcoming spring will be joyous and peaceful. If winter has come, Indeed, spring is behind.

Winter snatches green leaves of trees, smashes colours of butterflies, slaughter blooming flowers. But, when everything is lost there hope dwells and that is the spring, which has to come anyhow after winter and that is the cycle of life. ‘Where there is a ruin, there is hope for a treasure.’

Sweet are the uses of adversity

Adversity can be defined as misery, affliction, tragedy, hardship, difficulty and any unfavourable or critical situation of life. Adversity by nature is a great teacher. He who faces it enhances the real experience of life and gets its zesty taste. There is a mystery in misery which hides real lessons behind its thick curtains. A ship of life which sails smoothly in hardships reaches the shore of success. He gets rubies who dive into the depth of the sea. Indeed, one who is difficult for difficulties gets its unlimited uses and everlasting lessons.

Thomas Edison was a newspaper seller and he was afraid of the dark. He wanted to invent the bulb for his night phobia and for the world. He tried almost one thousand times to invent the light bulb but remained unsuccessful. He did not give up and surrender; his all tries were unsuccessful except one. Each try gave him strength and eager unto success. His labour bore fruit; his struggle made him succeed and took him towards peaks of victories. When he was asked about his failures, he replied: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. I found 1,000 ways how not to create a light bulb.” Indeed, Thomas Edison got sweet uses of adversity and success.

Undoubtedly, difficulties teach us the things which none can teach in this world. They make us aware, experienced, passionate, strong and humanitarian. Life is a process of learning and one learns a lot from hardships. The difficulty is the basic and fundamental part of the experience. One should take and face difficulty as a black cloud of rain, which rains extremely but fertilizes all barren grounds.

An empty vessel makes much noise.

A pitcher which is empty makes a loud noise and a pitcher which is full of water makes little noise. One can know by this example that a person who possesses little knowledge, makes a loud noise and boasts about bushes. Whereas, the person who has deep knowledge remains silent and talks little. The deeper the ocean the more silent it will be.

God likes those people who are gold but call themselves copper coins. Having everything, they spend their lives like a common man. All messengers, prophets, Sufis, dervishes and pious people had great knowledge but they never became empty vessels. They spent their lives with simplicity.

It is truly said that little knowledge is dangerous. Those people who have little knowledge, they try to be philosophers and scholars. They remain empty inside like drums. When they are hit, they make a cracking sound. They do not look before they leap and they get little respect in their surroundings. A person who has deep knowledge speaks little and is respected by everyone. Indeed, brevity is the soul of wit.

All the philosophers and scholars talked rarely about their deep knowledge. On account of those who know do not tell and those who tell do not know. A person must not be like an empty vessel. He should have deep and profound knowledge because those who speak much about the subject having little knowledge are not liked.

Where ignorance is bliss, it is folly to be wise

The world is deep and dark ditch of ignorance. Where ignorance is known as a blessing, it is better to be silent there. Because closed mouth catches no fly. One must be silent in the party of illiterates. He must not show his wisdom where it is not appreciable otherwise it will be known as ignorance.

Ibne Rushd, a great scholar, philosopher and astronomer was killed by the people of that time. He was naked and tied outside of the mosque. They stoned and spat over him in a cold and shivering night. His only sin was; He spoke about stars, philosophy and metaphysics in the town of uneducated people where ignorance was a blessing.

Galileo, the great Scientist was house-arrested because he said that Sun does not move around the earth and other planets but Earth moves around the sun. This was not tolerable by people of that time. Sun moves around the earth was in their beliefs. He was threatened to take back his words or he would be killed. Consequently, he took back his words. He had talked wisely among the narrow-minded people.

If one speaks above than the level of one’s mind, one will be known as mad and if one speaks lesser than the level of mind, one will be known as a fool. It is better to speak according to the level of one’s mind. And, being wise in fool’s paradise is like to hammer one’s own leg.

The violence of war can be diluted with love

When there was no time, cause, season, theory and reason, there was the existence of love which is the most powerful and beyond everything. Human is a pack of feelings; hatred begets war and war are consumed by love. Love is the most insurmountable emotion which has done miracles since time. It has brought wars into peace and hatred into affection. Indeed, the violence of war can be diluted with love.

When Arab tribes were spreading violence of wars, hatred and aggregation were giving outlets to the fire of war. There, Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) with a whiff of love extinguished war’s fire. He brought the flow of love and brotherhood in the heart of every Arabain which wiped all hatred and brought sympathy. War was weakened by eternal force of love and war was blown away; like a rotten leaf is blown away by the tempest.

As water extinguishes the fire, similarly love parishes war. When war stands with war, then violence reaches its peaks. Two same sides of the magnet always repel each other and make the distance. So, war is not a solution for war rather a problem in itself. One has to change one’s side to attract each other and that side is of love. As the universal saying is, “Love begets love.”

Love and humanity is the essence of all religions of the world. Religion is a solution for the entire human-kind and soul of religion is love. Love breaks walls of hatred and brings ever flowing peace. It eradicates all differences. The violence of war was always conquered by love; it is being conquered and will be conquered. As Virgil said, “Love conquers all.”

A Thing of beauty is a joy forever

Beauty is the greatest and the vastest source of joy in this cosmic universe. Each particle in this beautiful and soulful world has the essence of beauty _beauty is the parent of joy. It is insurmountable, it roots out grieves and gloom from one’s heart, gives blooming joy and takes to the gala and soulful world. It is an infinite blessing of GOD which is worthy of admiration and sweetest source of joy.

Beauty is an untiring attraction for artists like the infinite gravitation of black holes. Sculptures depict nature, make idols and whiff the soul of beauty in it. Poets hug the beauty of the universe and give a breath of beauty in their words. Flute man with his flute sings the language of the soul with the essence of beauty. Singers take the voice of heavens and sing among souls and angles. And, a painter with his colours makes the beauty infinite. Work of artist is the essence of beauty _where there is the existence of art there is a presence of beauty and where is the presence of beauty there is the essence of joy.

The world is poured with the purest beauty which makes eyes behold it forever, makes tongue to sing songs of praise for it. Compels hands to compose poems for it, makes brains to be in its fantasy, Pulls feet to move towards it, makes body worship and makes soul lover of it. Sky, moon, stars, trees, birds and seasons how beautiful they are! They are the real soul of joy _an infinite joy. He who beholds its beauty a moment that moment becomes an eternal joy for him which flows in the soul like a river.

Nature is full of beauty from a star to a flower there are thousands of sources of beauty and each source becomes the eternal joy for man. The beauty of nature in the first espy gives the sweetest smile to the soul. A smile of beauty changes the lives. Indeed, Thing of beauty is a joy forever.

“Beauty is truth and truth beauty.” John Keats

It is hard for an empty bag to stand upright

The proverb means very need of things, makes life impossible. One who has nothing cannot stand upright in the way of survival. Empty clouds never rain. A man with might, knowledge, perfect character and passion stands upright in life. He stands up in front of every misfortune and mishap. He is like a fulfilled bag that has the strength to stand upright. A man who is uneducated, poor, passionless and materialistic cannot give something out of his life. Can an empty bag give something out?

A man like Che Guevara whose bag of life is full with passion, struggle, education, dare and emotions he stands up in life without any shoulder or support. He stands not just for himself, but he stands also for others. He tries to give others their rights and like a true man, he never lets injustice and inequality take place. He leaves a fine character in the history of mankind. He becomes like a fruitful tree which stands upright and gives fruit to everyone. Unquestionably, it happens when a tree bears and struggles in very hours of life.

Those men who have nothing in their lives, they always support or shoulder to stand. They live in other food. Their lives are hand to mouth. They remain homeless and helpless because they have nothing in the bag of life which can stand upright. They crawl on the earth and forget that they have wings to use or they know not the skill of flying towards success. Those men are like a stick which cannot stand up without any support.

Alama Iqbal says; “If there would be no compulsion in life, everyone would be God. “ So, compulsion is part of life. One whose bag of life is empty he should be optimistic and struggler and start to fill the bag of life while burning candles of nights. Undoubtedly, every drop makes an ocean. So, one should struggle with passion. An ant can kill an Elephant. So, Nothing is impossible for insurmountable. Indeed, that flower is the most beautiful which smiles in adversity.

Brevity is the soul of wit.

Expressing oneself in an accurate and compressed way is known as brevity. Naturally, as the fragrance is the essence of the flower so brevity is the soul of wit. When a wise speaks; he speaks splendidly. His a few words possess pregnant meaning in them. Fool talks with verbosity and his barrage of words weigh little meaning. Indeed, the heart of wisdom is brevity.

Brevity is the art, which wise has. All the philosophers, scholars and wise people use a few words appositely which carry the vast meaning. Like Moulana Jalal Din Rumi says, “Don’t Grieve, whatever you loose comes in another form.” How beautifully these words carry an example of hope and life!

Bacon, the essayist, who is known as a master of brevity wrote accurate words at the exact place in his Essays and his Essays are read and studied globally. Because of the beauty of brevity in Bacon’s Essays, he is eminent in the world of expressions.

People who make chains of phrases and if one talks about chalk to them, they talk about cheese. These people bore the listener. One must use brevity in his expressions and indeed, Brevity is the symbol of wisdom.

The Crown and Glory of life is the character

Character is the most precious and the most inestimable Kohinoor of human’s treasure. Wealth, property, lands and reputation are fog and mirage. Character is the identification of man and without identification life is worthless. The only thing in the world which can make one alive even after death is character and identification. Undoubtedly, death is not the end of life but identification is last of life.

On Doom’s day, man will not be known by his wealth and reputation but by his character. Wealth has wings, it can fly back to you but the character is without wings if once it is flown it never comes back. One has to be a man of character, not a man of wealth. Indeed, the only character is a philosopher’s stone.

Character is the thing which distinguishes a human from a beast. One whose actions and reactions become like animal one is counted among wild beasts. Our Prophet Mohammad PBUH says; ” He whose character resembles a beast he is beast.” The Prophets, Messengers, Sufies and Saints have ever given value to character, they have emphasized life full of character. It is not about only wearings but what one thinks, dreams. talks, acts, reacts and beholds. Every atom and particle of man’s existence is part of his character.

A famous saying of all time is, “If wealth is lost, nothing is lost. If health is lost, something is lost. But, if the character is lost, everything is lost.” life is a long process, full of experiments and experiences, in which reputation is a shadow and character is reality and fact. The man of the world is not he who has stock of wealth and fine health but he is great who has the finest character. Character is a faithful flight which takes one from earth to skies. One should live with quite a good character because the crown and glory of life is the character.

Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy

Where ever the Hero is; Tragedies reside within him. To be Hero, one has to smash mountains, crossfires, pass by tensions, torments, tortures and tragedies of transient world. Those became Heroes who fought till their last breath and their lives had become nevertheless a tragedy.

The Great Fighter, Spartacus. His Life was Full of tragedies. Writer, Howard Fast, has written a wonderful novel on him. Spartacus was a slave, he was tortured, huntered, beaten and smashed. Then, he becomes rebellion, he started to fight against Rome for the slaves and poor of the world. He had almost crashed the army of Room with the help of thousands of slaves. But, Alas! His friends died along with his good friend Kirasis. And, he too was killed and chopped into pieces. A thousand slaves were hanged on crosses. Spartacus is the Hero of every time with a life full of Tragedies. Where ever the slaves are beaten, tortured and punished; There the name of Spartacus Blooms up.

Horace Walpole said, “The world is a comedy to those that think; a tragedy to those that feel.” Indeed, heroes feel life. But, they fight to be an optimist. If there would be no tragedy with them, they would be the common men. Fitzgerald has rightly said, “Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy.”

Poverty is the parent of revolution and crime

Tensions, tortures, tragedies and torments enter in the house where poverty lives in. Poverty shakes the soul of survival. It compels him to revolutionize and commit a crime. Poverty makes man rebellion and criminal. The earth, which remains silent for years, bursts up with burning and boiling volcano. In a very way, a man who tolerates and bears breaks the ice and starts being rebellion and criminal with the passage of time.

A poor man takes the gun, sometimes for the milk and food of his family, sometimes for the marriage of his sister or daughter, sometimes for the funeral ceremonies of his relative and sometimes being compelled by inflation. No man comes into the world being a criminal. It is what poverty makes him. The crime which is increasing day by day into Pakistan is only because of poverty. Poverty is directly proportional to the crime.

2500 years ago, a revolution went into Rome, Brought by the Fighter Spartacus and had almost reached to Parish and crash the Rome. That time, only a few people were rich and had all the money. Others were the poor and slaves. Their women were sold, raped and tortured. Men were enslaved and hunted by Rich people. Poverty had killed the thousands and a giant revolution came into Rome. Poverty was the father of the revolution in Rome.

Gandhi said, “To a man with an empty stomach food is God.” Man can do all for his empty stomach. Pakistan should focus on the root cause of crime and revolution. They would know, it is poverty. Every man should be given equal rights and property. As Prophet Mohammad PBUH did.

“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”

Helping Hands are better than praying lips

When one helps any breath breathing life, God pleases with him. There are thousands of ways of pleasing God, help and love are one of them which are superior. If one leaves his prayer for saving any one’s life that Man becomes more valuable in front of Almighty Allah. When one helps anyone and he does not see whether he is Zen, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Shaman, or Christian then he comes closer to God Almighty. Seeing everyone as equal that is quality of God and God likes it.

Prophet Mohammad PBUH says in Sahi Bukhari: A prostitute was forgiven by Allah because she was walking through well and saw a painting and thirsty dog that was going to die of thirst. She put off her shoe and got some water in it for dog and that dog was watered and saved by her. This tale truly speaks about helping. Allah is very kind and merciful to those who are helpful to others. Dozens of cases are in history about those who become friends of God by helping.

God loves him who helps and loves human-kind. Nature of nature is to love and help. He who loved and helped humankind became Jesus, David, Joseph, Moses, Ram, Buddha, Abou Bin Adhem and Rumi. One who helps without ill intention and any expectation he gets awards of years of worship. Satan is known best and great worshiper of God but he has the label of a curse because he had not helped hands and loving heart but praying lips and indeed, helping hands are better than praying lips.

Call no Man Happy till he is Dead

Until and Unless, man lives in this materialistic and greedy world, he cannot be Happy. Man is shackled and chained in this magical world. Adam and Eve were thrown on earth for punishment. Earth was considered a jail for them. So, how can a man live happily in jail? Man can be happy when he is freed of the shackles.

Change is constant. If spring comes; flowers bloom up. When autumn enters, flowers wither. A man cannot be happy, even if he has health, wealth and all luxuries of life. In the book, Prince of Abyssinia, by Samuel Johnson. Rasselas, the prince, had everything of the world. But, he could not live happily in his palace. He left his palace and tried to find and explore happiness in the world. And, He could find nowhere.

Man lives expect, desires, feels panic and tragedies, never lives happily. Life is nevertheless a tragedy. Hazrat Ali R.A said, “Oh! World, I have divorced you three times.” Until and unless, man desires, he cannot be happy. It can only be expected by a Dead Man. He cannot desire, feel pain and response who is dead.

Rousseau said, “Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.” Man can not live in gala days because he is chained with chains of responsibilities, expectations, dreams, fears, taxes and desires. Everyman in this world is unhappy unless he dies. That is the only way to break the shackles of the mortal and materialistic world.

Rome was not built in a day

The above proverb suggests that nothing great can be done or accomplished in a short time. A herculean task is impossible to be achieved in a twinkling. It will obviously require you a long time and it won’t let you sleep or rest satisfactorily until its completion. If you go to Karachi from Sukkur, it won’t take you much time. On the contrary, If you go to Lahore from Sukkur, it will definitely take you a long time to reach there. Little tasks can be done in the twinkling of an eye but for the completion of great and commendable tasks, several days and several nights are sacrificed.

Rome, in olden times, was ideal for its army power, for wealth and prosperity and for everything that is of great and exclusive importance in human life. Rome achieved all these things, not in one day but its people spent many sleepless nights in labouring hard to take it to this position of success. Napoleon conquered the whole of Europe, not in a single day but slowly and gradually he did so. He was born poor. Patience and perseverance that he had, made him a successful person.

If we study or peep into the lives of the great men, we will come to know that they reached the heights of success by burning their midnight oil and by labouring steadily and patiently. They knew very well that there is no royal road to success but hard work. These men are the source of inspiration for those who want to do something great in their lives and those who want to get their names written in the chapters of history.

All that glitters is not Gold

The truth of this proverb should be obvious to those who live in the artificial world of colours. Appearance can be deceptive. What appears to be gold may be copper or even something worse. Something which sparkles like a diamond cannot be a diamond in real. Likewise, if we come to talk about the world of people, we may find many persons who glitter and shine but are not genuine and valuable, in fact. They try to create a favourable impression and we are often deceived and cheated by their outward look or appearance. We forget or neglect the fact that there also exist wolfs in sheep’s clothing.

Plato said long ago that the human eye is not dependable for knowing the truth. Whatever looks fancy or shines, we blindly like it. For instance: if we go to the market with the purpose to purchase a T.V.We enter a shop where both new and second-hand T.v’s are available. They are pretty alike and identical. The appearance of second-hand T.V’s is the same as that of the new ones. Now if we purchase the second-hand T.V, it must have some faults consequently it will not last long. In short, it will be nothing else but nine days’ wonder.

It is rational advice for us to be on the alert and watchful to differentiate between right and wrong whenever our eyes are charmed by the outer beauty of something. We must not be taken in by sparkling and glittering objects and we should not neglect or ignore rough diamonds when they come to be chosen.

Brevity is the soul of wit

Expressing oneself in an accurate and compressed way is known as brevity. Naturally, as the fragrance is the essence of the flower so brevity is the soul of wit. When a wise speaks; he speaks splendidly. His a few words possess pregnant meaning in them. Fool talks with verbosity and his barrage of words weigh little meaning. Indeed, the heart of wisdom is brevity.

Brevity is the art, which wise has. All the philosophers, scholars and wise people use a few words appositely which carry the vast meaning. Like Moulana Jalal Din Rumi says, “Don’t Grieve, whatever you loose comes in another form.” How beautifully these words carry an example of hope and life!

Bacon, the essayist, who is known as a master of brevity wrote accurate words at the exact place in his Essays and his Essays are read and studied globally. Because of the beauty of brevity in Bacon’s Essays, he is eminent in the world of expressions.

People who make chains of phrases and if one talks about chalk to them, they talk about cheese. These people make bore the listener. One must use brevity in his expressions and indeed, Brevity is the symbol of wisdom.

Where there is a will there is a way

The hidden idea that lies in the above proverb should be obvious to those whose way is full of hurdles and obstacles that in the midst of rainy days and troublesome days, there are gala days too. The difficulties and problems in one’s path should not be the source of dejection, despair and lethargy. If this winter comes, spring cannot be far behind. If difficulties hinder one’s way, one should know once for all that behind these there is a way waiting for one. One can easily reach one’s targeted way on the condition that one has got an iron will. If one’s determination, one’s will and one’s goals are constant, not changeable then I think there is no-one who can ever dare to prevent one from reaching one’s destination.

For instance: a person is willing to do CSS but he thinks that he cannot qualify it. It is a very difficult exam as it comprises 12 subjects. In short, he lacks courage and is double-minded and afraid of the difficulties that might raise their heads during his preparation. Consequently, he loses all his hopes and becomes hopeless and lethargic. This is what we call a lack of strong determination. In place of being hopeless, he needs to think if he has his ambition, way itself will automatically knock at his door.

All those people whose names are shiningly prominent in the history did not retreat from their targeted destination and they did not lose their hopes and desires to achieve their certain goal just because of so-called ups and downs. They were well aware of the fact that ups and downs are a part of human life. They cannot be neglected because they are like a shadow chasing us. Likewise, we should not be scared of problems. However hard, tortuous and difficult they may be, we should show them that we are strong and persistent. And at all events, we have to achieve what is before our eyes and what we have targeted or desired.

God helps those who help themselves

God only helps those people who work hard and make an honest effort and helps those who try their level best to achieve anything. Everything is possible in the world if one try to get it with great determination and true struggle, not depend only on daydreaming, also believe in hard work. By hard working one can convert his daydreaming, plans into reality.

After the war of independence 1857, the condition of Muslims become so worst that they unable to do anything for themselves, for their religion Islam, At that time great people like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and Allama Muhammad Iqbal gave a new direction to Muslim through which they could change their lifestyle. The message of these leaders was “Khodi” and the constant struggle for Muslim’s rights and it was only possible through education. Result of their efforts lead them towards the division of Subcontinent and finally, Muslims succeeded to get their homeland Pakistan.

Everything is possible through hard work and constant effort and if the determination is true God also help the man in getting success and converting dreams into reality.

A handsome is that handsome does

By the above proverb, we mean that the outer beauty of a person is of no use and is worthless if she/he is in nearly ugly. His actions reveal his handsomeness. However utterly beautiful he may be, he is vain if his inner is pregnant with ugliness. By his outer beauty, he can deceive people and can put a favourable impression on them but it does not last long; it is only short-lived. The ugliness that lies within him definitely comes before people one day in future. As appearances are deceptive, he can take in us by his handsomeness of face. We can be impressed with his beauty and even sometimes, we get envious of his handsomeness too but this is because we are not aware of the fact that beauty is only skin deep. The beauty of a character has much more important than the beauty of a face. As Ninon said,” That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.”

People generally dislike talking to a person who is outwardly ugly, even they do not want him to sit beside them. For instance: A child is drowning into the water in the presence of two persons namely a person with inner beauty and another person with outer beauty. The handsome person does not want to lose his life by jumping into water whereas the person with inner beauty does not shirk from it at all. He, on the spot, jumps into the water at the cost of his own life so as to save the life of the drowning child. It shows the people standing there that the ugly-faced person whom they did not like, has proved to be a diamond and the handsome person who ruled over their hearts by attracting them through his beauty, has emerged as worthless and valueless. According to Ruskin “Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies, for example.

We should learn from the line that all that glitters cannot be gold. We must not be taken in by the cunning looks of a person. And besides it, we should also give much importance, value and deep respect to those who have been blessed with the gift of the most precious thing of the world, i.e. inner beauty or handsome character. According to James Ellis ” Better an ugly face than an ugly mind.”

Charm strikes the Sight but Merit wins the Soul

Beauty has the power to capture our senses but it is only quality that appeals to one’s soul. Things that are beautiful apparently attracts us, after a period of time, they will cease to get a hold on of our senses if they lack due qualities. It is the quality which remains as a yardstick of capturing the hearts.

There is an opposite relationship btw mind and heart. The mind goes by apparent rationale of the items whereas heart demands purity and integrity. Eyes admire what they see, they don’t go into scouring the qualities of a product which has to last long. The integrity and purity are characteristics which have to remain long & effect the result. Beauty has temporary nature whereas merit continues to stay long & it furnishes wid the passage of time as well. The physical appearance doesn’t matter too much to the soul because the soul is eternal Soul only appreciates those things which give benefit, pleasure & peace for a time to come. Eyes don’t prefer merit because they always have to see beauty &glamour in things irrespective of whether those beautiful things benefit in the long run, wether the beauty can affect or give productive results.

The appointment of a Negro (Hazrat Bilal R.A) to the status of an imam wasn’t on the basis of his beauty. Had Prophet S.a.w saw the outer beauty he couldn’t have delivered invaluable services to the cause of Islam. Similarly, Prophet SAW ordered to obey the leader even he’s defarmed. Negro provided the posses qualities of leadership. Prophet SAW also told us that Allah doesn’t look to your faces and appearances but your deeds. Similarly, the ouster of the white president of the USA was the ratification of this fact.

This isn’t to say that aestheticism has nothing to do. Its worth lies only in the temporary pleasure of sight. eternal happiness is given by merit &quality. Integrity, honesty, righteousness &truthfulness have always been the standards of knowledgable people. There are fools who set glamour, beauty, charm & decoration to these moral principles. For man moral uprightness always outweighs outwardly appearances.

Today’s world is being transformed into the world of aestheticism. The most important tool for preaching this doctrine is advertisement through media. One is forced to appreciate matter.there is so much glamour in other relations of media as well.it seems as if ethics have been buried under the rubble of his campaign for aestheticism. Man is gradually losing the genuine yardstick of judging the things. The touchstone of appreciation is being replaced by moral uprightness to only beautiful things.
It should be kept in mind that the victory belongs to quality, not quantity. Beauty has always few days to celebrate and cast its spell but merit has the power to grip souls. Man can’t afford to rejig his arrangement of nature. It will amount to challenging the creator, which will, of course, cause failure to him.

The Impossible is often the untried

There are many things in life which we tag them as impossible to be done but the fact of the matter is that we have never given them a shot. Labelling a task impossible to accomplish is a sign of weakness and defeat. If we had given it a try then we might have achieved something. Calling never tried tasks as impossible is per se a self-defeating argument. Without moving a muscle or two and calling the task impossible is ridiculous and virtual acceptance of failure. Therefore, it is imperative to give effort to any work before reaching any conclusion.

There are few factors which lead to this kind of disposition towards matters. Apparently, the task is too daunting and huge to handle. The apparent difficulties of doing work might deter us to take initiatives. Another factor could be the lack of will and determination to carry out a task. The absence of will and determination might withhold us to take even the first step towards that. Non-availability of required means and resources at our disposal is another factor in calling the task impossible to achieve. These are some of the prime factors which set our defeating attitude. Defeating because we call it presumably impossible when we have not even taken a step towards initiating a task.

This argument particularly has infiltrated in our national discourse. Whenever someone presents a challenging task before the public, we quickly tag it as impossible.in reality, we disguise our lack of will and determination, lethargy and sluggishness, apathy and cynicism with the word impossible. When we say, for example, Pakistani society ought to come at par with the developed nations, the riposte is ‘no’ or ‘impossible’ or ‘a distant dream’ etc. This attitude clearly shows that before trying the things we quickly resort to a negative attitude.

We need to throw off this mantra of ”’impossible”, both at our individual and group levels. We need to get rid of this albatross of ”impossible” around our necks. The qualities we need are determination.courage, honesty, hard-work, boldness and sincerity. The amalgamation of the above traits will empower our mind and soul to march towards achieving higher aims and goals.

Man is the architect of his own fortune

It is a traditional belief that has been with us since perhaps the world came into existence, that whatever pleasant or unpleasant happens to us, we tag it as fate and declare it our fortune responsible for every good or bad event. The fact is that the fault is not in our destiny or stars but it lies in us. Actually, we are whatever we make ourselves to be. As Disraeli said a long ago that we make our fortunes and call them fate. This suggests that it is in our hands to make our fortune good or bad and pleasant or unpleasant.

If a student is very hard-working and does his/her preparation for his/her forthcoming exam from the very first. He does not follow the rule of “Study at the eleventh hour” at all. When the time of the exam comes, he/she definitely will perform well. Consequently, the outcome will be up to the mark. On the other hand, a student who does not study even he does not open his/her books the whole year. Now his/her result will definitely be negative and below the mark. It was not fortune which made the hard-working student pass his/her exam with flying colours but courage, hard work, etc. In the same way, we ourselves do not work hard and blame our fate for whatever wrong happens to us and declare it bad luck. According to Ovid,” Fortune and love favour the brave.”

Sometimes nature tests us by pouring the rain of difficulties and troubles over us. In such circumstances, we do not work with courage and diligence. Come what may we should not leave the path of hard work. It is the only key to be the possessor of a good fortune. We can find lots of such people in the history who were born poor but with persistence and hard work, they changed their fate. As Euripides said, “Fortune truly helps those who are of good judgement.”

Lend your ears to all, tongue to few

A cautious speaker listens to everyone, with patience, but use his own judgement. In the present world, with so many wolves in sheep’s clothing, it is good to be discreet in one’s choice of friends. A person who talks unnecessarily is bound to invite trouble for himself. However, people who are patient listeners are more sensitive as they can have a full peep in others’ heart without revelling their minds. sometimes people befriend you with ulterior motives and take advantage of the confidence you repose in them. we daily come across newspaper reports of people who tricked some gullible persons. the modus operandi is first to win the confidence of the unsuspecting victims and then to cheat them. therefore we must not be taken in by sycophants whose sole purpose is to exploit us. we should confide in those who have stood the test of time and are worthy of our confidence. by listening to others, we come to know of certain facts which may be useful for us. everybody has one or two things to teach you. therefore listening can be advantageous. hence talking injudiciously to everybody who happens to be your acquaintance, can prove very dangerous in the long run. listening should always be preferred to talking as even nature given us two ears and one tongue that too guarded by thirty-two strong teeth

Rich men have no fault

Rich or poor both belonged to one`s own society. Sometimes poor get status of Rich man and Wealthy one has to submit towards miserable conditions. Human`s are made up of flesh and blood. They performed good deeds as well as vices and crimes. It is obvious when someone gets extra power or wealth above average, got mad for misuse of power and wealth. However, the above criteria are not valid in all cases. Life on this planet proceeded on the principle of selflessness. These wealthy esteemed people worked for humankind. So, It is not the wealthy status rather man`s own nature responsible for his fault.

Bill Gates, Abdu’s Sitar Eidehi and Imran khan`s welfare schemes are the most recent examples of wealthy people, serving humanity. On the other hand, we have an example of Hazrat Bahuddin Zikriya Multani (R.A) who contained a lot of wealth. But he used it for humanity. However, history also tells us most of the Rich people misused their wealth. Like Jews, who introduced interest on wealth in Makkah. So man`s own nature is liable to faults, not rich ones.

Human society has suffered a lot due to man`s ambition to get unlimited power and wealth. Richness is not inherited status rather it is ascribed status. It is generalized; rich people do not follow folkways and more. It is because society has few rich and more poor. Obviously, they will more observe more rich people. Man`s nature is full of faults, not the richness ascriptions.

Self-done is well done’

Aristotle said,’ Man is a social animal’’.It implies man is dependent on others. Reliance is good because it bonds the members of a particular society. However, it should be restrained for the productivity of individuals. It enables oneself to survive in bitter circumstances. So for survival, one will have to tackle the situation under his mind`s control. Moreover, a person is able to reproduce innovative ideas, unknown to anyone. Sometimes, it leads towards inventions and discoveries.

Anthropologists point out the significance of Self-effort and creativity has developed civilizations. And parasitic life destroyed their marvels. Historians pinpoint this theme in its relation to Kings. Those, who managed in a miserable environment are the reputed one. Akbar, Richard, Saladin, Mahmud Ghaznavi and The Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) are the world recognized leader. It is just of their self-work and hard work. Therefore, it glorifies the theme of self-work.

All the inventions and discoveries are the hallmark of this criterion. Holy Quran also lights on this theme, describing man earned wages by dint of his hard work is a friend of Allah. Muslim civilization in its culmination worked on the principle of,” Necessity is the mother of invention. So they rationalize laws creating a field of ‘’asul’’ or ‘fiqa’. They Euro-civilization it borrowed the principle of Muslim civilization. Their achievements have made them world greatest power of the 19th century.

According to Iqbal,
Celebrated they were, embracing Islam.
Derogated you are, negating these.

Last but not the least it is acknowledged self-work is universally known. People are remembered for their countless efforts. Therefore, these people are followed as models.

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Naeem Javid

Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani is working as Deputy Conservator of Forests in Balochistan Forest & Wildlife Department (BFWD). He is the CEO of Tech Urdu (techurdu.net) Forestrypedia (forestrypedia.com), All Pak Notifications (allpaknotifications.com), Essayspedia, etc & their YouTube Channels). He is an Environmentalist, Blogger, YouTuber, Developer & Vlogger.

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