Al-Jahiz

“The book is silent as long as you need silence,eloquent whenever you want discourse.He never interrupts you if you are engagedbut if you feel lonely he will be a good companion.He is a friend who never deceives or falters you,and he is a companion who does not grow tired of you.”

“A noble man need not pretend to be virtuous, any more than a well-spoken man feigns eloquence.When a man exaggerates his qualities it is because of something lacking in him; the bully gives himself airs because he is conscious of his weakness. Pride is ugly in all men … it is worse than cruelty, which is the worst kind of sins, and humility is better than clemency, which is the best of all good deeds.”