Humility is a characteristic of honourable people and arrogance is a trait of meanness. Humility produces love and contentment produces comfort.
In Bahraini society, good habits that have been inherited since ancient times are social communication and performing duties at weddings and mourning.
However, what I find appalling is the lack of respect shown for the family of the dead during memorial majlises. Raised voices, laughter and talk about trade, politics, economics and sports, among others, are unbecoming of people to come to pay respect for the deceased.
On the other hand, at weddings we find some people, who consider themselves to be important by virtue of their position and social status, pay scant respect to the queue of well-wishers as if they are not human.
How I hope that senior officials, businessmen, merchants and the like stick to the line in order to be an example to others in humility and sophistication; this will undoubtedly gain them double the respect of everyone.
I remember one senior government official who insisted on standing in the queue to receive mourners, despite the insistence of some that he would be embarrassed. But he stood his ground and I remember writing about him so that he would be a symbol and someone to be emulated.
I was invited to a wedding and saw how many of the invitees did not respect the line of well-wishers! They aroused everyone’s ire and dissatisfaction with this uncivilised behaviour.
We must erase these wrong practices from our lives so that future generations can benefit from them. I sincerely call on everyone to improve their behaviour.
How much I admired the behaviour of the Qatari Amir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who sat in the back row when he attended the graduation ceremony of his daughter. He is just not any personality, but the head of the state! He set the most wonderful example of humility and sophistication. If a head of state can display such wonderful behaviour, we can learn a lesson or two from this.
Nothing lasts forever in this life, not age, nor beauty, health or position. So a person should not be too arrogant and brag in front of someone who has very little. A person’s good deeds and good morals make a lasting impression, raising his status in life and thereafter.
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