My dear heart, never think you are better than others. Listen to their sorrows with compassion. If you want peace, don't harbor bad thoughts, do not gossip and don't teach what you do not know.
RumiRead
When you have indulged a lust, your wing drops off; you become lame, abandoned by a fantasy. …People fancy they are enjoying themselves, but they are really tearing out their wings for the sake of an illusion.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Indulgence in temporary pleasures can lead to a loss of true potential and freedom.
This quote by Rumi conveys the idea that giving in to superficial desires can ultimately lead to a loss of one's true abilities or aspirations. The act of indulging in such fantasies causes one to become metaphorically 'lame,' as they sacrifice their wings—representative of freedom and potential—for the fleeting satisfaction of illusionary pleasures.
Themes
IndulgenceIllusionFreedomDesireFantasy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the consequences of pursuing fleeting pleasures over long-term fulfillment.
More from Rumi
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Lovers have heartaches _x000D_ That can't be cured by drugs _x000D_ Or sleep, _x000D_ Or games, _x000D_ But only by seeing their beloved.
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Every fragile beauty, every perfect forgotten sentence, you grieve their going away, but that is not how it is. Where they come from never goes dry. It is an always flowing spring.
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Whatever you keep hidden in your heart, God _x000D_ manifests in you outwardly. Whatever the root of _x000D_ the tree feeds on in secret, affects the bough and _x000D_ the leaf.
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Come on sweetheart let's adore one another before there is no more of you and me
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