It would have suggested many things to a philosopher to have dealings with him. To a stranger he appeared to know nothing of things in general; yet I sometimes saw in him a man whom I had not seen before, and I did not know whether he was as wise as Shakespeare or as simply ignorant as a child, whether to suspect him of a fine poetic consciousness or of stupidity.
Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
Category: HUMILITY
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“To speak ill of others is a dishonest way of praising ourselves.”
—Will Durant -
When you are at peace and not embattled, then humble yourself even more—lest some alien joy arising [in us] we boast and are delivered into battle. For, on account of our frailty, God often does not permit us to be embattled often—lest we be lost.
—Abba Bessarion
Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers -
A chaste person is too sensitive to request, and if given he is too shy to receive. Unlike this is the unchaste person who may ask for something not his right to have, as if it were a right usurped from him! Even if given he may ask for more seeing it so little. Such are those who ask God for things they consider it their right to have!! Such was the lost son who asked his father for his portion of inheritance (Lk 15).
—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit -
A chaste person’s look is not lustful but bashful.
This does not apply only to sex, but even to respect towards elders. The son dares not look boldly to his father but rather with great reverence, not even lifting up his eyes towards him as if in challenge. It is said that St. Abba Pigimi lived for 18 years in the company of holy elders in the monastery, and he never looked any of them fully in the face.
—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit
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The gentle is usually bashful; he cannot look at anyone fully in the face.
He does not examine one’s features to know his inner feelings or the truth of his words. If he is fought with this, he will say to himself: It is not my business. Let me mind my own business! He is by nature gentle, and is not inclined to examine others’ actions.
—H.H. Pope Shenouda III, Fruits of the Spirit
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In Ecclesiastes, he says:
I have seen everything in my days of vanity: there is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs life in his wickedness. Do not be overly righteous, nor be overly wise: why should you destroy yourself? Do not be overly wicked, nor be foolish: why should you die before your time? It is good that you grasp this, and also not remove your hand from the other; for he who fears God will escape them all.
Here, by the statement “Do not be overly righteous,” he means that you should accept yourself, with your weakness and helplessness, and do not let the ideal self reject the true self, appearing to be a righteous self at all time, and do not use worldly, self-centered wisdom, with which you deceive yourself and believe that you are overly righteous.
—H.E. Metropolitan Youssef, How to Develop Your Personality
SO GOOD QUOTES 