The arrogance of power
The master and his disciple were talking at a street corner when an old woman came up to them:
“Get away from my window!” shouted the old lady. “You are disturbing the customers”. The master apologized and crossed over to the other sidewalk.
They went on talking until an officer came up to them and said:
“We need you to move away from this sidewalk. The count will be passing by here in a few moments”.
“Let him use the other side of the street”, answered the master, without moving.
Then he turned to his disciple and told him: “Don’t forget: never be arrogant to the humble. And never be humble to the arrogant.”
The arrogance of sanctity
The Zen monk spent ten years meditating in his cave, trying to find out the path to the Truth. While he was praying one afternoon, a monkey came up to him. The monk tried to concentrate, but the monkey drew closer and seized the monk’s sandal.
“Damned monkey!” said the hermit. “Why have you come to disturb my prayers?”
“I’m hungry,” said the monkey.
“Go away! You are disturbing my communicating with God!”
“How can you talk to God if you cannot manage to communicate with humble creatures like me?” said the monkey.
And the monk apologized, feeling ashamed.
The arrogance of force
The village was threatened by a tribe of barbarians. The inhabitants were abandoning their houses and fleeing to a safer place. At the end of a year they had all left – except a group of Jesuits.
The army of barbarians entered the city without any resistance and held a great feast to commemorate the victory. In the middle of the dinner a priest appeared.
“You came in here and drove out peace. I beg you to leave at once.”
“Why haven’t you fled yet?” shouted the chief of the barbarians. “Don’t you see that I can run you through with my sword without blinking an eye?”
The priest answered calmly:
“Don’t you see that I can be run through by a sword without blinking an eye?”
Surprised by such serenity before death, the chief of the barbarians and his tribe abandoned the place the next day.
The arrogance of envy
In the Syrian desert, Satan told his disciples: “Human beings are always more concerned about wishing evil on others than doing good to themselves”.
And to demonstrate what he was saying, he decided to test two men who were resting nearby.
“I have come to make your wishes come true”, he said to one of them. “Whatever you want will be given to you. Your friend will receive the same thing – except double”.
The man remained in silence for a long while, and then he finally said:
“My friend is content because he will have double, no matter what my wish is. But I have prepared a trap for him: my wish is that you make me blind in one eye”.
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Debbie – of course I need the other two, but courage (and love) is the only thing which is really important to achieve them!
I like the way people read things and think first of how people in authority are the bad guys. For instance, the arrogance of power. Everyone fails to see that the woman came out screaming at the master and being very arrogant, and what does he do, hes humble. Then a police officer comes over and asks the guy to move for the count(no sign of arrogance from the officer) and the master refuses. I believe there is great wisdom in what Paulo has to say but I wish people would digest things and try not to blame authority just becuase they were to scared to make a difference, maybe not maybe so. I’m still trying to get what I can from the passage.
hi to all (especially to paolo)
I am a 23 year old guy who happens to be in search for evrything that would let me understand life and its complexities. (though at times i end up wallowing the truth that we can never define things with perfect context as everything is relative)
i love reading the posts especially now that i am bound for another chapter in my life. that is am leaving my homeland for a job. it appeases me to know that i have the theories to hold on to, principles to live by and love to share with. and i owe paolo for opening my mind into such greater heights.
while i was reading the posts for this issue (which is really the first time that i did) i was thinking to myself of the best realization of time.
we are all created in such different ways. our culture differ in delimiting what we feel, how we react and when to open up. but what makes things really craggy is when we tend to let other people think and feel the way we want to. that we tend to tell people of how they should react when their way of thinking does not meet our standard.
we are all capable of showing who and what we are made of. but that does not mean that we are free to let other people’s definition be guided by our own demands. the world is a big big world with so many to be amazed of. instead of clamouring for things which are not supposed to be (that is relative as a statement again) why don’t we just be mindful of how we can make other people’s life better than what they have now? am nt trying to emphasize charity but rather the trth that we will end up getting hurt when we focus on ourselves. the essence of living is not solely defined on our own but with the coexistence of other beings (again, this is my definition)
it’s not what we see but how we see it.
keep it u paolo you are inspiring me to become the best of who i can be and puruse life with a positive view.
i am dave from the philippines.
debbie ihow i wish you were my mom just by reading your lines i know that you have a good heart. dex, be true to yourself.
I agree with Adam Rachwal. I think it is better to be humble with everybody. I’ve heard an interesting story… no, it’s not a story, rather an experiment. People were monitored in the tarffic, and those who got courtesy from the others also became courteous. So if an arrogant meets a lot of humble men, then he will be humble. Or this is what i think, but i can be mistaken of course.
Teaching and learning are connected. For example no one can teach how to teach, every teacher have to learn that by himself (or herself). And also no one can know something perfectly until he haven’t taught that. I know this from my maths teacher, and this is also my own experience. I help my classmates to understand a certain thing, and i only understand that after i had explained them 3 or 4 times. That is also true, that i could use those formulas before, and i thought i understanded them perfectly, but the questions of my classmates make me realize that i don’t
know the source of the problem. After thinking a bit i find it out, and then i’m happy.
I think The Zahir is some kind of biography (though it is not a biography), and Coelho sais in the book that he also don’t understand utterly what he writes. But this is not a problem.
Best wishes to everybody,
Szabi
Good thoughts are made of simple ideas….I wonder that why even plain commonsense deserts the great human being.
Its easy to submit stories than tread the said path of purity and calm. Neverthless we endevor such simple living, wishing for luxury. dilemma or irony of thoughts.
Hello, friends, readers and thinkers. I would like to add one story (maybe some of you already know it) about Socrates in ancient Greece. Socrates was in a process. He reminded his opponents of this story.
One day, someone had had the courage, to go to the Oracle of Delphi and ask the Oracle, if there was anyone wiser than Socrates. The Oracle thought long and deeply about, and answered: “There is no one wiser than Socrates”. When Socrates heard this, he didn’t understand it. Why was he the wisest?
To find the answer, he surrounded himself by all the philosophers and scientists of the country. He found out, that these people did not only limit themselves to their own specialty, in their judgements. They thought, they also knew about other things. Socrates did not pretend to know, what he didn’t know.
“Don’t forget: never be arrogant to the humble. And never be humble to the arrogant.” – How does that make you different from an arrogant person?
“ALWAYS BE HUMBLE”
It’s easy to say you are humble when everyone else around you is humble. But the true test of character comes when you are humble in the presence of an arrogant.
Hey Josephine,
I think you’re right about the librarian comment! ;)
And, I envy you for not needing more money or time…..I could use all of that and more!! Including more courage! Not to be greedy or anything.
And, I agree with Jyothi about wishing that I could be like the wife in the Zahir.
I noticed that not too many have commented on Paulo’s book ‘Eleven Minutes’, and I wanted to say to Paulo, thanks for that book. I was a bit shocked by the sex scenes, at first, but after reading it…my husband was a very thankful man, too…. for at LEAST eleven minutes. Hee hee! ;)
Hope you all have a wonderfully passionate day. :)
Love,
-Deb, The Perverted One
thank you paulo for your books..i have so many questions before, thanks to my boss for introducing me your books, they helped in times i needed it most..i helped me cope with post partum depresssion, it helped me in my search for knowledge, and it helped me find myself..more power to you, zahir made me value my relationship with my husband..i love 11 minutes..alchemist fuelled me to keep on dreaming..your books made a lot of difference in my life – all your books had touched me in one way or another and when i thought i had enough..the simplest lesson on arrogance made me realized that not all the time i need to be humble, there are instances that i cannot be humble, like to the arrogant without being guilty that i had been bad..well just my thought :) once again, THANK YOU!!!!!
J,
reading your reply and i feel you although i am not indian but a part of me is…. but thats another story :-) i completly understand what you are feeling i am currently reading the zahir… i’m loving it!
one
Marie
The simplicity of your words, the insights gleaned from your snippets, the reminders of how to live like a true, compassionate human being – thank you Paul Coelho for your timeless stories which resonate with true Dhamma in every word.
Hi,
I am a great fan of yours and have read all your major works. The article on arrogance was really thought provoking.
I have also read the Zahir and it is very different from what I have read till today.
I could immediately connect to the Zahir in your work. How I wish I could be like the author’s wife , breaking free of all ties (though I know it is impossible for an Indian girl where we give so much value to family ties and traditions).
Waiting for your next work.
Love
J
for every single of your letters
:)
thank You
Debbie – “the smartest person isn’t the one who knows everything, but who knows where to find the answers.” – So it must be the librarian then! *grin*
I don’t need more money,
I don’t need more time -
I only need enough of courage
to do what I really want to do…
dear paulo,,
first of all thank you for giving your readers the chance to connect you and this is the ideal profe of your humbleness, and i wanted you to know that your opinions and you philosophy of life admired so many readers in egypt as i know that egypt has a special place in your heart ,once again i thank you and i just want to say that some times you find yourself obliged to be arrogant just to defence your self with those who think that humbleness is weakness.
hadwa,
egypt,
22 years old
Dear Paulo,
I enjoy reading your philosophical literature. Congratulations to a great writer.
Dear all,
Everybody needs some qoutes, idols, philosophy, ideologies to go on living to justify themselves till they become some kind of beings(i don’t know whetehr we can all them just human) with full of love, not as an emotion but as their inherent nature… Till then I do need books like manual of warrior of light, unbearable lightness of being or some good music. And my dear ones, their love quarelling with them tragedies suffering along with them like that… I really find solace at the printed version of manual of warrior of light..
Love
Bandhu
Howdy Everyone,
I’ve been enjoying the postings here. Everyone has lots of wonderful things to say.
Also found it interesting that Dex made that remark and got everyone’s ire up in defense of Paulo. Hee hee! :) It did seem a bit of an arrogant remark…very appropriate considering Paulo’s postings. :)
I’m just curious, Dex, if you’re still here with us…to know why you felt compelled to write that remark? What was your intention and/or what makes you feel that way about Paulo? Just curious.
I am also a teacher (not only a homeschooler, but I teach pottery and computer classes to adults and other children) and often feel like a fraud because I don’t know everything. I am aware that people hold teachers up to a higher standard as if they are super-human. (But noone is!)
I, personally, just laugh when people say ‘and you’re a teacher?!’ in reference to some mistake I’ve made (usually mathematical) ! I’m usually the first to admit I don’t know everything and reply with, ‘yeah! Can you believe it?!’ ;)
With my children, mainly, there have been subjects that I needed to teach that I knew nothing about, but we muddled through and learned them together. We’re all both teachers and students, always, as everyone knows.
I ‘ve taught my children to believe in the philosophy that the smartest person isn’t the one who knows everything, but who knows where to find the answers. (Can you imagine how big our heads would have to be to know everything?!) :)
And, like Anton said, basically, you get what you need and move on if a certain teacher isn’t ‘cutting it for you’ anymore. Maybe it’s time for Dex to move on.(?)
Another thing, which I suppose might actually echo what Dex said, is that sometimes you teach most what you need to learn. My dad never learned to ride a bike (he’s 80 years old) but he taught all of his four kids to do so.
So, what’s my point? I don’t know….see! I DON’T know everything! Typical teacher! ;) I just thought I’d throw out my ramblings….my unconnected passing thoughts on teachers and students.
Sending lots of love to Paulo and everyone here…including Dex! Ha! :)
Have a great day, everyone!
-humbly yours, deb :) The really rotten, but fun and jovial, teacher. :) (If I say so myself!) And did I mention arrogant?:)
PS: Sorry about these smiley face icons that I (annoyingly) splatter throughout my postings. I just want to convey my happy thoughts. ;) I’ll try to refrain from using them in the future! ;) Oops!
[quote comment="183"]My Grandmother lived to be 94. Her body slowed down a bit by the time she was 87, and her walk became a slow shuffle. I will never forget the time we were at a crowded mall, and some arrogant 20 somthings huffed and puffed because they couldn’t get around us quickly enough. She turned and stopped, which made them stop, and looked them right in the eye. “I’m so sorry.” she said. “I didn’t mean to hold up progress.” She stepped aside and moved her arm in a grand gesture allowing them to pass. It was a wonderful example of standing up to arrogance. My grandmother was a very humble person, but we all knew who had won that battle.[/quote]
What a beautiful way to act!
Blessings
Lisa
Dear Paulo!
So happy that thanks your Blog I can get in touch with you. I have noticed that many people who have read Coelho I connect with easily. Your stories about arrogance set me to pondering a strange aspect of human psychology. How is it that human beings born equally into a natural universe came to diminish themselves and cede power to others? Right now I am passing through a bit of difficult and tricky time with my boss considering what action I should take. I hope your message ‘never be humble to the arrogant’ will give me psychological power over my boss.
With strong sense of connectedness,
Nona
I wish the above comments would be read by those who are rulling the world. The fact is that even if they read it nothing would change at all.
I have read all of your books. I think they are great and have lot to give to the people. For the way of thinking and acting in everyday life.
To sum up, how to be a better person in general.
Greetings from Greece.
My Grandmother lived to be 94. Her body slowed down a bit by the time she was 87, and her walk became a slow shuffle. I will never forget the time we were at a crowded mall, and some arrogant 20 somthings huffed and puffed because they couldn’t get around us quickly enough. She turned and stopped, which made them stop, and looked them right in the eye. “I’m so sorry.” she said. “I didn’t mean to hold up progress.” She stepped aside and moved her arm in a grand gesture allowing them to pass. It was a wonderful example of standing up to arrogance. My grandmother was a very humble person, but we all knew who had won that battle.
“You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him discover it in himself.”….. that’s for you DAD…. !!! ;-)
regards
Keti
[quote comment="179"][quote comment="158"]I somehow got the feeling that you enjoy teaching others…. and yet I don’t know if you’re the one who learned enough to teach….
No offence.[/quote]
I was wondering while I read your comment, which is interesting in itself, as being a teacher myself I always wonder if I am a proper teacher. How much does one need to know to be able to teach? Don’t you just need someone who is willing to learn and another one willing to teach. How can one know when one is ready to teach? And who will decide if you are ready? Another group of peers that perhaps isn’t qualified either?
As a teacher I think that one can tell when one is doing a good job. It’s when the student seems to have grown a little more and eventually doesn’t need to be taught by me anymore. In other words “doesn’t NEED me anymore”. He can fend for himself/herself.
And you needn’t necessarily study to be a teacher. You can teach your son how to kick a football (here in Argentina we use our foot :-)). You can teach a coworker that making fun of another coworker is not only hurtful, but shows how weak and fearful he/she really is.
Anyway Dex, the question is: Does it really matter if Paulo is qualified or not to be a teacher? Or what really matters is that he’s found a message and an audience that is willing to listen to it, and perhaps grow a little more.
Un abrazo.
Anton. Buenos Aires, Argentina
PD: after DAD, my second favourite word is Teacher.[/quote]
Anton, you indeed are a wonderful teacher!! Nothing more need be said. And Dex, didn’t anyone teach you that if you don’t have anything constructive to say, you might aswell not talk!! God bless Paulo and the blog group.
In light of those who can’t see, we need to ask the question: Can we follow blindly the requests of others without having ourselves not received a divine gift?
The answer, of course, is obvious. We have all received a divine gift. How we handle that gift, despite our obvious human imperfections (yes, God created us in his image, but somehow, we have managed to hobble along in this less than perfect outfit) – How we handle the gift is what differentiates us.
A man walks down the street and sees a begger. He is skeptical and asks himself “What is this young person doing asking for money – she should have a job – I will not support this in any way”. And we walk on. But later comes another man, and he sees the begger, and he stops. He asks the young woman “So, why do you ask for money – you seem able bodied and young – why go to the streets?”
The answer received varies from circumstance to circumstance – but the heart of the answer is always the same – dissillusenment, confusion, and perhaps a history of personal abuse – self inflicted or otherwise. And the true saint talks to the person, and finds out their soul and directional points. He may not even give any money to the begger; but after a brief conversation, the gift that was given to the begger is better than money.
The divine gift we all have continues to give and give and give – if we look inside and capture within us what we all know to be right and absolute truth.
Humility and arrogance – they are all just a balancing act in the tightrope of our existance.
[quote comment="158"]I somehow got the feeling that you enjoy teaching others…. and yet I don’t know if you’re the one who learned enough to teach….
No offence.[/quote]
I was wondering while I read your comment, which is interesting in itself, as being a teacher myself I always wonder if I am a proper teacher. How much does one need to know to be able to teach? Don’t you just need someone who is willing to learn and another one willing to teach. How can one know when one is ready to teach? And who will decide if you are ready? Another group of peers that perhaps isn’t qualified either?
As a teacher I think that one can tell when one is doing a good job. It’s when the student seems to have grown a little more and eventually doesn’t need to be taught by me anymore. In other words “doesn’t NEED me anymore”. He can fend for himself/herself.
And you needn’t necessarily study to be a teacher. You can teach your son how to kick a football (here in Argentina we use our foot :-)). You can teach a coworker that making fun of another coworker is not only hurtful, but shows how weak and fearful he/she really is.
Anyway Dex, the question is: Does it really matter if Paulo is qualified or not to be a teacher? Or what really matters is that he’s found a message and an audience that is willing to listen to it, and perhaps grow a little more.
Un abrazo.
Anton. Buenos Aires, Argentina
PD: after DAD, my second favourite word is Teacher.
If an old woman started yelling and shooing me away, I’d be annoyed and tempted to stand my ground. And if an arrogant officer told me to move for the count, I’d shuffle off and probably criticize myself for being in the way. ARG! How frustrating to see wrong living practices in my life. I have to figure out how to take these life lessons and apply them. I’m afraid I’ll be like the guy in the cave and forget as soon as I walk out the door.
well, I have always loved Rio-de-Janeiro! now, I respect it & I will travel there by all means!!!
with love
keti :-))
Arrogance. I shall not comment on that one.
[quote comment="158"]I somehow got the feeling that you enjoy teaching others…. and yet I don’t know if you’re the one who learned enough to teach….
No offence.[/quote]
He`s not a teacher. He speaks for the one who listen.
Have a nice day!
arpeges
I agree with you Neville Cooper. Your words of wisdom were well written!!
Paulo, thank you for all of the wonderful journeys you have taken me on.
Take Care,
Christine
All I can say is that every one of your columns brings me further on my path of understanding and helps me each day along the way.
I’m in the process of printing out each of your “issues” and pasting them into a journal for me to have as a companion to Warrior of the Light. I wish you would publish your issues into a book, perhaps as volumes, volum one consisting of the first 100, volume two for the next one hundred, etc, so you dont ever have to stop. But for now, my own craftsmanship will due. Perhaps it will even be more important to me because I made it myself, with your inspiration. What is better–to have something that you poured your heart and soul into, or to have something that cost 15 dollars and everyone has?
Thank you for everything.
thanx for every thing.maybe you did all for youeself.but thanx.i can say u showed me the real meaning of mayself.thanx again for your fantastice books
Dex – and still we learn best when teaching. It’s a fact every teacher on a school (or private) can sign up on!
Debbie – As a bullied girl and teenager I have been fighting a lot with the meanings of arrogance and humbleness. To be proud over who you are, yet not believing you are “more” in any way. (although rejected because of differences) To be standing tall, yet being able to quickly bend down. Flexibility, openess, self-distance, neutrality but a good portion of humour. I’m ofthen the crying clown. One of my best meetings this spring was with a man who was blind. He “saw” me with his heart.
Very nice new entrance to your blog!
*smile*
Josephine
(I know Swe, Eng, Fre and Dutch)
Hi!I think that I know and understand all of what the my favourite writer think and write.One day we will meet and talk long hours,I hope….
Greetings Everyone,
I know how the poor beggars feel. It’s seems that I am always being discriminated against because I am not dressed in the latest fashions or have much money. In the end…what’s the difference? We all have the same anatomy (within reason of course) and all come from the same source.
Anyone else feel that common courtesy doesn’t exist today, or it is majorly lacking?
Blessings
Lisa
x
I am glad that I find Your BLOG,now I can read more your things.This short stories show me how to be better in my life.
Kind regards:)
Hi Paulo,
OK. I”m back from my moment of speechlessness. :)
When I first read the passage about not being humble to the arrogant, I had to read it twice. Something didn’t feel right to me.
I woke up this morning realizing what didn’t feel right. I try to be humble to everyone, feeling that none of us are any more important than the other. And so, I was reasoning that if you’re not humble to the arrogant, then you are just as bad as they are.
I discussed this with my husband and he said that what you mean is that you don’t have to go out of your way to kiss the feet of the arrogant….just be indifferent to them.
I understand this, but then wondered what ‘being humble’ really means. So, I looked it up online and there were many different definitions for ‘humble.’ One says ‘to not be proud or arrogant’. Another says ‘to make yourself smaller than others.’ And, so, using the second definition, I see that this fits – noone should make themselves smaller than anyone else.
I have always felt that to be humble just meant the first definition – to not be proud or arrogant, which is why I was confused.
And then when I read what Cassidy Summers wrote…referring to George Bush…..I thought..”ugh! I wouldn’t step aside for that man or any of the other fools from my government.’ So, maybe I wouldn’t be so humble…and probably would even be arrogant in a situation like this. (The bastards!) ;)
I guess I’m not as perfect as I’d like to think. ;)
Take care everyone! Have a great day!
Love,
Deb :) The humble, yet, sometimes imperfectly arrogant one. :)
Its ironic how simple your stories here are and yet how profound the thought. especially in agreeement with ‘arrogance of sanctity’. We look for God all over and fail to see Him in the one who stands before us.. we fail to see him in the sea, in the sky, in the trees. We try so desperately to reach HIm when the simplest and yet toughest way is to love who and that which surrounds us.
Your stories have inspired my – and helped me reassess the way i look at things and evaluate situations. ‘Alchemist’ and ‘Veronica decides to die’ are my favourites. Thank you.
Thank you Paulo for those very thought provoking words. The more I read your works, the more I crave them.
Arrogance to me is purely the expressions of very insecure and unhappy individuals who are still trying their best to live or influence other people’s lives.
Be happy and proud of yourself and your achievements, no matter what they are (they are your own!), and you will never have to tell anyone else how good or important you are, for they will automatically pick it up in your humble confidence.
Thanks also to all the wise words and comments from the rest of the bloggers.
Always keep smiling!
I agree with you Soraya…
Actually, I apply this golden rule in my life;
“Don’t forget: never be arrogant to the humble. And never be humble to the arrogant.”
I believe that we as HUMAN we need to have a “transparent inner soul” because life can cause fear to us… living with a transparent soul will help and being a ware to be humble will also help…
I do not know … just having scattered thoughts….
Suha.
Awesome; even though it took me about 10 minutes to comprehend (hehehe :-) ) arrogance and power I had to discuss it with one of my co-workers I laughed for about 5 minutes mainly at myself.
Thanks for teaching!
Much love
Marie
Thanks for this issue, which everyone should search in themselves. Especially I liked arrogance of sanctity; unfortunately sometimes I’m just like that monk…
Thank you dear Paulo for your existence!
I somehow got the feeling that you enjoy teaching others…. and yet I don’t know if you’re the one who learned enough to teach….
No offence.
FROM NOW ON I WILL BE ARROGANT WITH THE ARROGANTS AND HUMBLE WITH THE HUMBLES!I READ ALL YOUR BOOKS .THEY WERE WHAT I WANTED FOR MY MENTAL “SEARCHING” PERIODS OF TIME.WHEN SHALL WE EXPECT YOUR NEW BOOK?
I agree with the comment in ‘arrogance of power’. I have naturally lived by the same believe ‘don’t be arrogent to the humble and don’t be humble to the arrogent’. Yes, it is very true! It is just about having balance. My late father use to always say to me ‘Make friends on your way up, you may need them on your way down’. Respect and basic good manners are no more around and it can be seen in the leaders we have today. As such, it is now very difficult to pull people out of their ‘selfishness’ as they are so totally unaware of it today.
So true… thank you for the great examples. I will look out for that in me.
Arrogance of Power, I love your writing, but all you had to write for “Arrogance of power” is. George W. Bush, or in all reality, “AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.” Once again, you amaze me with your writing’s. I read these every day, im trying to get all caught up on them.
Hello Paulo and Fellow Bloggers,
Wow! I am humbled by the passages above.
So humbled, in fact, that I am speechless for once! An amazing feat, I know. :)
Even if I COULD think of something worthwhile to add, I am too afraid of sounding arrogant! Hee hee! So, I will leave it at that and send forth blessings upon all who are reading. May we all always be humble and loving and kind and full of peace. :)
Lots of love to all,
Deb :) The humble one (today).
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