In anything that does cover the whole of your life - in your philosophy and your religion - you must have mirth. If you do not have mirth you will certainly have madness.
Gilbert K. ChestertonRead
Every act of disobedience committed due to passion, its forgiveness is hoped for. Every act of disobedience committed due to arrogance, its forgiveness is not hoped for because the root of Satan’s disobedience was arrogance, whereas the root of Adam’s lapse was passion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that disobedience stemming from passion can be forgiven, while disobedience arising from arrogance cannot.
In this quote, Sufyan Al-Thawri draws a distinction between two types of disobedience: that which is driven by passion and that which is fueled by arrogance. He posits that disobedience born from genuine emotion or desire is more understandable and thus more likely to be forgiven, whereas disobedience rooted in pride and arrogance reflects a deeper moral failing akin to the original sin of Satan. The comparison to Adam's lapse suggests that human flaws are often complex and rooted in passion, whereas arrogance is seen as a more severe and deliberate transgression.
Themes
DisobedienceForgivenessPassionArroganceHumilitySinJudgment
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on ethics, one might use this quote to highlight the difference between mistakes made out of emotion versus those made out of pride.
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