Tradition

مَنْ رَضِىَ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ كَثُرَ السّاخِطُ عَلَيْهِ

Imam ‘Ali (‘a) is narrated to have said: “He who is self-satisfied and egotistic will have many who are not happy with him.”1

Brief Commentary

Although confidence and having love for oneself at a moderate level is necessary for the continuation of life, it is possible for people to exceed these normal boundaries and reach a point of selfishness and egotism. Those who are egotistical never see their own personal faults and they consider themselves to be pure, without fault, and loveable all at the same time. They believe they are the cream of the crop in their society and the best at everything that they do. For this same reason, they have great expectations from the people and this causes the people to resent and eventually hate them.

• 1. Nahj al-Balaghah, Aphorism 6, Sharh Nahj Al-Balaghah, vol. 18, p.100, Ghurar Al-Hikam, p. 308.