PRIDE AND GRATITUDE
Two Opposite Human Feelings
ONCE, an educated Muslim told me confidently, “I can proudly
and gratefully say that God caused me to be born in an
environment steeped in religious fervour, and He granted me
the opportunity to get educated and trained in a reputed institution”.
This is not a statement of just one person. This kind of thing is what
many people say in their own way. These words seem to be very
captivating, but these words are devoid of any true meaning. The truth
of the matter is that pride and gratitude are two entirely different
emotions. Where there is pride, there will be no gratitude; and where
there is gratitude, there will be no pride. Those who still speak such
words may possess the element of pride, but the sentiment of true
gratefulness can never find a place in their hearts.
What is gratitude? Gratitude is, in reality, the acknowledgement of
the blessings of God Almighty. Acknowledgement of the blessings of
God immediately produces a feeling of utter helplessness. Once a
person feels this helplessness, he cannot carry the feeling of pride in
his bosom. After a person has truly realized
his helplessness, he will find himself as
‘nothing’ and he will find God as everything.
For a man who has this realization of truth,
the word ‘pride’ will become meaningless to
him. Forgetting all, he will take on the hue of
expressing gratitude to God. He will find in his
bosom no place for personal glory and pride.
A person can show true gratitude only when
he is truly modest and humble. A person who
lacks the divine quality of complete modesty
can never experience the bliss of gratitude.
Gratitude is the
acknowledgement
of the blessings of
God Almighty. This
acknowledgement
immediately
produces a feeling of
utter helplessness.
Once a person feels
this helplessness,
he cannot carry the
feeling of pride in his
bosom.
For a man who has this realization of truth,
the word ‘pride’ will become meaningless to
him. Forgetting all, he will take on the hue of
expressing gratitude to God. He will find in his
bosom no place for personal glory and pride.
A person can show true gratitude only when
he is truly modest and humble. A person who
lacks the divine quality of complete modesty
can never experience the bliss of gratitude.
Gratitude is the
acknowledgement
of the blessings of
God Almighty. This
acknowledgement
immediately
produces a feeling of
utter helplessness.
Once a person feels
this helplessness,
he cannot carry the
feeling of pride in his
bosom.
To speak the words of pride along with words of gratitude makes the person eligible for, to use an academic term, minus marking. A person saying both words together proves that he is unaware of the real truth of both words. He knows neither the psychology of pride nor the psychology of gratitude. If he were aware of both of them, he would not have spoken the contradictory words of pride and gratitude together. Gratitude grows when pride is negated. Gratitude cannot be nurtured where pride has taken root.