Wisdom is walking through life with humility

March 18, 2022. No. 188

We have all felt a certain dose of suspicion at some point in life, but, like fear, we have to learn to overcome it. Schopenhauer wrote that nobody is really worthy of envy; each being has its virtues and defects, its gifts and weaknesses, in each life —no matter how placid it may seem— there are problems. The envious man looks with resentment at the virtuous part of others as something that subtracts from his happiness and believes that by knocking down another's he carves out his own. In this way, existence is twisted, remorseful in the liver with each other's achievement, instead of being a reason for joy and learning. What is an envious? An ingrate who hates the light that illuminates and warms him, Victor Hugo left written and, certainly, the envious one, has corroded his soul in such a way that what can bring him beauty and wisdom, becomes a virus.

In the words of Francisco de Quevedo: envy is so skinny and yellow because it bites and does not eat, and it is that the bites against good go to the void and never feed. There are those who fear these dark beings, who tend to trip up or concoct adverse states of opinion with gossip and rumours; sometimes they manage to harm with their falsehoods, but, in the long run, those attacks of envy turn out to be a boomerang against the perpetrator. The mediocre will be able to set traps for the one who acts cleanly, but he will come out of them stronger and stronger; The envious bit him, they have green teeth. But the teeth do not bite into the light.

The inner clarity of people is drawn on their face, in their daily actions; who is sure of himself is open, gives easily, and knows how to be pious, understanding, with those who make mistakes. The one who distills hatred in every opinion he pours, looking for a hidden evil in every generous gesture of others; the one who has no compassion for anyone and exaggerates in an extremist way the slightest blunder of others; the one who enjoys "beating the fallen donkey", carries within himself the poisonous poison. Ovid said that envy, the pettiest of vices, slithers along the ground like a snake. For this reason, whenever you are approached by someone who sees everything through the dark glasses of his mind, you can think like Mario Benedetti: when hell is others, paradise is not oneself.

Do not let yourself be dragged by those who have the habit of whispering insults to others, think that later the defamed one will be you; Just as he talks to you about that, tomorrow he will talk about you. Look for the gaze of your interlocutor; whoever has the habit of blowing weaknesses in the ear and does not face it, carries his folds inside and it would be good to answer him with these verses of Sappho:

If you had desires for goodness and beauty

and it wasn't something bad that your tongue shakes,

you would have no shame between the eyes,

and you would talk about it cleanly.

Another face of envy is excessive praise, speaking in Cuban: the “guataquería”. Excessive flattery also carries with it an inferiority complex, it manifests the hypocrisy that also stems from envying the gifts of others (not to be confused with the just recognition that we all must do when we find light in our path). For Martí, fair praise rejoices the good man and annoys the envious. Unjust praise harms the one who receives it: it harms the one who does it more. It is very healthy to know how to criticize, analyze and give an honest opinion to a friend, partner, loved one. However, there are those who use praise or pointing as a weapon, with a background in their opinion, with the aim of destroying what is star in others or even use praise to take advantage of it. There is the one who “flatter” a boss, teacher, or acquaintance; This seeks appreciation to obtain material advantages or beneficial relationships.

"Excessive praise rightly repudiates the virile spirit. Those who want all the praise for themselves, get angry to see the praise distributed among others. Vice has so many accomplices in the world that virtue must have some accomplices. The heart must be given wings, not anchors."

See you tomorrow.