| The following famous quotation is attributed to Socrates, the great
Greek philosopher: "I know only that I know nothing." In whatever field of endeavor, the more we know and the further we advance, the more we find there is still to learn, and the more we feel that we don't know anything. People who pretend to know a lot about something in fact often know very little about it. Truly great individuals never act self-importantly. Truly strong individuals never show off their strength. The more refined a person becomes, the more humble he or she becomes. Humility means treating oneself as less important than others, or in other words, treating others with great respect. When a person respects others, he or she will listen very carefully to what they have to say. Those who pretend to know a lot about something usually cannot afford to listen to what others say. While others speak, they are absorbed only in thinking about what they themselves will say next. In the world of psychology it is often said that people with a strong sense of superiority also feel a strong sense of inferiority. Therefore, while the act of pretending to be knowledgeable may come from a sense of superiority, people who act as if they are clever inevitably also feel a sense of inferiority and suffer as a result in the long run. People can be strongest and toughest when they start something afresh with a sense of humility saying, "I don't know anything about this and I will study about it from the beginning." Truly wise people are not afraid to appear foolish, while true fools neverthemselves to look like fools. If you don't mind appearing foolish then you can always feel relaxed, and this allows you to see what you couldn't see before. If you can learn to live calmly even when you are looked down upon by others -- rather than in vanity, you will lead a more enjoyable and interesting life. The real value of individuals can never be discerned by what other people say about them. |