Saturday, May 16, 2015

நாளொரு பக்கம் 18

நாளொரு பக்கம் 18

Saturday ,the 14th March 2015

He that respects himself is safe from others; he wears a coat of mail that none can pierce.’ 
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (27 Feb 1807-1882)


In discourses, academic, intellectual, religious & the argumentative, we find that ego, self-respect, self-esteem, pride of different shades etc. are presented in a confused manner by interchanging one for the other, in wild disregard of the different shades of meaning. ‘கான மயிலாட கண்டிருந்த வான்கோழி தானும் அதுவாக பாவித்து...’. 
Most of us attribute conceit and self-importance to the ego, though the psychoanalytical Freudian definition is not all pejorative. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s reference is not to the self-respect, understood as the watchword of a rebel movement which tragically failed the people. Pride is hardly condemnable, particularly of the aesthetic variety, like the peacock’s dance or a rare tune well-sung or an exquisite painting. It would appear that HW Longfellow, the sage poet of USA, was referring to the pride of the mind, say on Right Conduct, unswerving devotion to Truth, Responsibility unto oneself, family, society and Nature.  Virtues do protect us against evil designs  of others.

This will reminds us of Socrates, whose coat of mail was his upright holding of his principles, even at the cost of his own death. Such a death is Immortality, indeed.

-x-

சித்திரத்துக்கு நன்றி: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgLwkqliuTfzlTncmOoNxFdiwklJX28Bis5JgtsyuVKkWEQFDo7p8ER7qfHFtQ6euQeRzO6ezh-4yMUKqEmPM351n6ZRpba1D9gUjCYx6iXQr6Jzgr7MnKTgFufzveRmBWp3rGkAb0tY/s1600/goliath.jpg

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