“Humility cannot be taught by propaganda, though slavery can. Shouting for humility is a form of arrogance. One of my most abiding recollections is of a priest at a religious occasion once roaring, in the most threatening way imaginable: ‘O our Lord God, we most humbly pray…!’Real humility is not always the same as apparent humility. Remember that fighting against self-conceit is still fighting: and that it will tend to suppress it temporarily. It does not cure anything.Remember, too, that humility itself does not bring an automatic reward: it is a means to an end. It enables a person to operate in a certain manner.”

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Originally said in English.

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About Idries Shah

Idries Shah was a British writer and scholar of Sufi thought. He translated and adapted Sufi texts into accessible English, emphasizing practical wisdom and the universal relevance of mystical traditions. His work bridges Eastern philosophy and Western inquiry, offering perspectives on human behavior and consciousness.

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"Humility cannot be taught by propaganda, though slavery can. Shouting…" — Idries Shah | Daily Quotes