A moment of patience in a moment of anger prevents a thousand moments of regret.
Ali Ibn Abi TalibRead
Do not be too hard, lest you be broken; do not be too soft, lest you be squeezed.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Balance is key in life; being too rigid can lead to breaking, while being too yielding can lead to being overwhelmed.
This quote by Ali Ibn Abi Talib emphasizes the importance of balance in one's character and life choices. It suggests that extremes in behavior or personality can lead to detrimental outcomes; being overly harsh may result in one breaking under pressure, while being excessively accommodating may lead to being taken advantage of. The middle path, therefore, is where true strength lies.
Themes
BalanceStrengthModerationWisdomResilience
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one might say, 'Do not be too hard, lest you be broken; do not be too soft, lest you be squeezed.'
More from Ali Ibn Abi Talib
All quotes βI was not created to be occupied by eating delicious foods like tied up cattle.
Ali Ibn Abi TalibRead
The outcome of fear is disappointment and shyness is frustration.
Ali Ibn Abi TalibRead
Allah's Generosity is connected to gratitude, and gratitude is linked to increase in His generosity. The generosity of Allah will not stop increasing unless the gratitude of the servant ceases
Ali Ibn Abi TalibRead
A wise man first thinks and then speaks and a fool speaks first and then thinks.
Ali Ibn Abi TalibRead
Be like a flower that gives its fragrance even to the hand that crushed it.
Ali Ibn Abi TalibRead
Similar quotes
When you love a problem, its contours, obstacles and resistances are all just part of its character.
Steven StrogatzRead
If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you.
Carl SaganRead
Awakening is possible only for those who seek it and want it, for those who are ready to struggle with themselves and work on themselves for a very long time and very persistently in order to attain it.
G. I. GurdjieffRead
Organisation can never be a substitute for initiative and for judgement.
Louis D. BrandeisRead
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
Martin Luther King, Jr.Read
I would like to say, ladies and gentlemen, that you shouldn't be afraid of who you are. That's the first key idea. You shouldn't be afraid of who you are. You should NOT be afraid of who you are. It's very important for you to realize that.
Chogyam TrungpaRead