Some people glow by effort,
while others glow simply by their presence.
Some strive to glow,
while others glow naturally.
Some want to glow,
while others are born glowing.
You could say it’s simply a divine gift.
This post was inspired by this quote:
“Common souls pay with what they do, nobler souls with that which they are.”
Sometimes we need to pause for a moment as we read to contemplate, breathe, and discover the beauty hidden behind bare words.
With noble thoughts,
Nahla
Should a fish shut her mouth?
But of course she should,
otherwise she will be hooked out of her world; her big, secure home.
And then it’s over.
She will serve as a fresh dinner plat for a hungry stomach.
“You definitely, and by all means, shouldn’t open it,” the old wise fish advised her fellows.
“As delicious, fresh, and rare as the bait may be, it is as dangerous, cunning, and deceptive. You should remember that, and think twice,” the old wise fish warned.
We humans should think not only twice but thrice or even more before stepping into a zone that isn’t ours.
Whatever this zone may be;
social, professional, or even familial.
It isn’t advisable to open your mouth and swallow everything,
nor to open your mouth and pour everything out.
In both cases, you transgress your zone and fall into waters that aren’t yours; whether deep or shallow it doesn’t matter, again they’re not yours.
You sacrifice your self-respect, your peace of mind, and your time over trivialities.
Didn’t the old man repeatedly give this piece of advice?
Of course he did.
Psychologists , psychiatrists, and many books say and repeat the very same advice.
If you don’t trust humans because they’re the ones who invented fishing rods, then trust the old wise fish who has never transgressed its own territory.
By the way this post was inspired by a quote I wrote on my other blog; the one I’m trying to bring it back to life. If you’d like to read it, here’s the link:
https://nh825.wordpress.com/2026/06/03/the-fish-and-the-hook/The Fish And The Hook
With the old wise fish’s thoughts,
Nahla
Can you guess the rest of the quote ?
Here’s it all:
“Seek simplicity but distrust it.”
How dare Mr Alfred Whitehead doubt the sincerity of Simplicity?
I started this blog and named it “Pure and Simple” for the sake of simplicity—and then comes this quote, accusing simplicity of being untrustworthy.
I know my philosophical musings may, sometimes, give you a headache,
or leave you a little lost,
or even bored.
Do they?
But this doesn’t mean distrust, does it?
Oh my…
It’s just crossed my mind that I’ve muddled things up.
Poor Mr Alfred isn’t accusing Simplicity at all.
Actually his quote is in favour of simplicity, not against it.
Simplicity is about the art of simplification.
So instead of leaving us with one whole rock, simplicity can soften it into clay—something we can handle and understand.
In other words, simplicity gently breaks the complex into smaller, simpler pieces.
Then it breaks those pieces into very tiny ones.
They may scatter into a maze, or a little a mess,
but they become more flexible—easier to explore, enjoy, and read.
That’s when Distrust arrives with a warning:
Don’t mistake simplicity for nonsense.
Don’t mistake it for weakness.
And definitely don’t mistake it for superficiality.
So, finally, with a big sigh of relief,
I’m happy I came across this quote today.
It feels like a little booster to stay on the path of Simplicity.
With pure and simple thoughts,
Nahla
P.S.
I only discovered this philosopher through this quote—just in case you think I’m well-versed in his philosophical works for I am not.
“Youth is not entirely a time of life.
It is a state of mind …
you are as young as you hope,
as old as you despair.”
Isn’t that a beautiful quote?
Surprisingly it is by anonymous.
Does this make it less beautiful?
No.
Still, some people may reply: Hope is for the young and the old live by nothing but despair.
Sure, these ones’ level of desperation exceeds all limits.
Apparently, they only read “old” and “despair” from the entire quote.
They think “anonymous” means “nobody”, and therefore not trustworthy.
But let’s focus on the sunny side.
Hope is the light that nourishes life, energy, dreams, and continuity.
Despair is the darkness that binds life, energy, and continuity.
Whether you are young or old,
it’s all about how you direct your state of mind:
towards hope or towards despair,
towards light or darkness.
And perhaps you can also direct your mind to
appreciate the advice,
even if it was given by someone anonymous.
Because anonymity makes the words belong to everyone.
With sunny thoughts,
Nahla
Isn’t this quote so true?
You know… ignorance isn’t just the lack of study, learning, or certificates.
No, ignorance is the lack of understanding, of seeing and feeling what is true and real.
By the way, don’t you agree that education is not the opposite of ignorance? In other words, a farmer with basic education may have more knowledge than a qualified teacher. The farmer’s knowledge is usually enriched by wisdom, while the teacher’s is measured by certificates.
So… can we agree that the opposite of ignorance is understanding?
Education, power, wealth, and fame do not necessarily produce knowledgeable people. Ironically, these supposed sources of knowledge feed and entertain ignorance more than they cultivate true knowledge.
And this type of ignorance is available in abundance, but it is deaf and blind.
It spreads lies, hides the truth, and fights against cultivating knowledge.
That’s why ignorance is cruel, so cruel indeed.
But there is some good news. Over the years, ignorance has always surrendered to knowledge. Not only that, this cruel ignorance has lived by the light of knowledge, yet it never recognised its validity until it was too late.
All we need to avoid falling into the trap of ignorance is to understand, and to see and feel things not only with our minds, but also with our hearts.
And…
Remember, knowledge is understanding, and understanding is the first step towards wisdom, and wisdom is light, and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
“Anyone who requites faith and friendship as I did, will have to pay for it.”
The Professor’s House by Willa Cather.
I’ve already shared my review of this novel, and this quote has inspired me to write this post.
The reason behind this quote was the loss of a friend —not through death, but through disagreement and disappointment. One was an idealist, the other an opportunist. Though they made good company together, at the first conflict, their paths parted. It was the idealist who said these words, lamenting the loss of true friendship to uncompromising ideals.
Faith and friendship are such precious gifts— too precious to be returned, too fragile to be repaired.
One is blessed to have them strong, and to keep them safe and nourished.
How strong? How safe, how nourished?
The balance depends on how much you are committed.
Along this journey,
perfection and idealism are neither required nor recommended.
Materialism, modernism, and other -isms have no place here.
These precious gifts need a simple home with strong pillars.
Understanding and sincerity can be the main pillars.
But, if the pillars break, the building will collapse.
Then, regret follows,
and what a heavy, merciless creditor regret can be!
In brief, this is my interpretation of the quote, which I see as the bulb of the book. And perhaps you might think of it as… just a pat on the shoulder on the first of December.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
That little, talented bird with a beautiful voice that is music itself. I’m not sure I have seen one before, but I imagine he must be among those nesting in the nearby trees.
Well … why did he crossed my mind today?
Simply because of the book I have just finished. The Song of the Lark, which, by the way is not about the bird species.
Can you guess what it symbolises in the story?
It’s not hard to guess for birds, in most cases, symbolise freedom and ambition.
There’s a poem about this bird, but I haven’t read it yet. Perhaps another time.
Away from the book and the poem, doesn’t the bird, with its unique name, feel like a musical poem? Full of energy and happiness? Beside it’s a migratory creature with an adventurous spirit.
Watch out for him in the morning, for he’s the friend of light and the colourful kite dancing in the blue sky.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
Have you ever heard this quote: “Nothing happens, and nothing happens, and then everything happens.” I came across it in one of my reading books, and I hope I’m quoting it right.
Don’t you like it?
How many times have you been on the verge of giving up? Of letting despair and misery eat you up? Of bowing and kneeling before tyrants and demons? And why all that? Just because nothing happens. And nothing happens.
But then, Hope arrives and knocks on your locked door. He doesn’t wait for you to open it for he knows you have been waiting, suffering, and tormented for so long. He seeps into your dark, wretched soul like a gentle, warm breeze filling a dark, damaged home in a freezing night. That’s when everything happens: Prayers are answered, dreams come true, wishes granted, problems solved, and victory attained.
Isn’t that so beautiful, so encouraging—lifting the spirits of poor souls, awakening their self-respect, and strengthening their love for life?
There is a similar meaning in an Arabic poetry verse I once read. It says: “Things grew tight, and tighter, and tighter until they reached their tightest peak. Then, they began to loosen, and relief came.“ (This is my own translation.)
Are you are still reading?
If you are, may I ask you to think of the english quote, or the Arabic verse, in a different way?
Did anything come to your mind?
Let me give you an example to help.
Imagine, just imagine, you’ve been… God Forbid, a thief or a murderer or even a scammer your whole life. And nothing happens. And nothing happens. And, one day, you hear knockings at your door.
Hope is not the visitor this time. It’s Justice crowned with her royal, majestic halo. She’s the one who’s been waiting for so long. Finally, it’s time to make you pay. And then, things happen. But, instead of the gentle, warm breeze, it’s tsunami rushing to wipe you out, and reclaim everything that was never yours.
The interpretation is the same in the Arabic verse, with a slight difference. This time, it’s the culprit who tightens things with every deed, inhumane ones, of course, chasing success, power, and protection. He climbed to the tightest peak of pride, power, and false security. Then things happen. Tight things burst, don’t they? But relief doesn’t come. Only torn pieces remain this time, bringing nothing but suffering, humiliation, and regret.
With hope and peace,
Nahla
I don’t really know if it is a saying or a quote, but I’m pretty sure I came across somewhere.
But don’t you agree?
Don’t you respect those who can say ‘yes’ or ‘no’? Those who can choose to go on, to pause, or to withdraw? Those who know that ‘better’doesn’t necessarily mean ‘perfect’? And those who believe that ‘to run for your life’ is the only excuse to exceed the limits.
And you know what? Even imagination knows its own limits because, in the end, it doesn’t deny the fact that everything it creates is imaginary.
Dreams are different because the more limitless they are, the more destructive and selfish they become. People say, ‘Look ahead and follow your dreams.’ And some follow the advice as if it were a holy command. They look only ahead and follow one route — either straight or by taking shortcuts. Like competitive drivers, they floor the gas pedal, exceed speed limits, ignore traffic lights, overtake any priorities, and make every space as their own free parking zone.
To know and respect your own limits is not a weakness, not a sacrifice, and certainly not a defeat. It’s something like making a peace deal with yourself, a quiet agreement, not to overburden, torture, or destroy what’s already carrying enough.
Everything in life seems to have its own limits. Privacy, for example, is supposed to be all about knowing and respecting limits. There’s also genius, this rare, precious quality, which often understands the significance of limits better than anyone else. But, unfortunately, in some case, its main aim is to only challenge and destroy them.
The beauty of all this is that we have different limits, and they change even throughout our lives. Everyone can create their own heroic saga. What matters is crafting it within your own limits. And, if you choose to exceed the limits, don’t scapegoate others, don’t envy them, and don’t torture your poor soul anymore.
Now doesn’t “Blessed are those who know their own limits” make perfect sense?
With hope and peace,
Nahla
“…it is impossible to foretell the future with any degree of accuracy, that it is impossible to rehearse life.”
This post is inspired by this quote from A Room with a View by E. M. Forster—a book I finished reading a few days ago.
There’s an interesting irony woven naturally into the story. It’s about life, reminding us that it isn’t a script to be read, memorised, or rehearsed. Instead, it flows and surprises us in unexpected ways.
Strange, how others, unintenionally, play a role in paving our path to happiness without being a part of it.
Strange, how those who wish us ill end up helping us grow and live better lives.
Strange, how annoying, boring delays save lives.
Strange, how the rush—that nagging impulse—is just an urgent call to fulfil something before it’s too late.
And isn’t it strange how we make plans, rehearse good speeches, feel things under control…, and then life surprises us in the most miraculous ways.
Isn’t that just life?
Isn’t that why God reminds us: it’s temporary?
With hope and peace,
Nahla
