“I cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs.” "I cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs". This aphorism is often misattributed to William Shakespeare, but is actually said to be a Persian proverb, most notably appearing in The Gulistan of Sa'di, written in 1258 C.E.
While some
sources also connect the quote to Helen Keller, Mahatma Gandhi, or Zinedine
Zidane, the earliest known source appears to be Sa'di's proverb.
It is sad
that even after centuries of its being penned down, we who call ourselves the “Intelligent
Species” still keep reading it only as a Proverb / Maxim, quote it maybe a
million times but yet do not understand or follow the deep meaning of it. Spare
some time to try and understand it a little better at least now. This aphorism has
always intrigued me and been an essential part of my very character and persona
in many ways, so thought of sharing a few insights.
Origin of the Quote: There are many versions as to the
origin of the Quote but what we understand by common consensus and established
literary publications and facts is:
This
aphorism is said to be considered as a Persian Proverb. Persian proverbs,
phrases, sayings, idioms, maxims are famous and well documented in many
literary, resources, and this one too is said to be one of the famous proverbs.
The aphorism has
been cited in print since at least The Gulistan, or The Rose Garden (1259) of
the Persian poet Sa'di. 'The Rose Garden'; sometimes spelled Golestan, is a
landmark of Persian literature, perhaps its single most influential work of
prose. Written in 1258 CE, it is one of two major works of the Persian poet
Sa'di, considered one of the greatest medieval Persian poets. It is also one of
his most popular books, and has proved deeply influential in the West as well
as the East.
The
Gulistan is a collection of poems and stories, just as a rose-garden is a
collection of flowers. It is widely quoted as a source of wisdom. The
well-known aphorism still frequently repeated in the western world, about being
sad because one has no shoes until one meets the man who has no feet
"whereupon I thanked Providence for its bounty to myself" is from the
Gulistan.
I
would take the liberty here to mention (With due credit to Wikipedia) and
suggest you read in its entirety for the depth in the topics it deals with
apart from this one specific aphorism that we are talking about.
“After the introduction, the
Golestan is divided into eight chapters, each consisting of a number of
stories, decorated with short poems.
1. The Manners of Kings
2. On the Morals of Dervishes
3. On the Excellence of Contentment
4. On the Advantages of Silence
5. On Love and Youth
6. On Weakness and Old Age
7. On the Effects of Education
8. On Rules for Conduct in Life
Altogether the work contains some
595 short poems in Persian, consisting on average of just fewer than two
couplets each, in a variety of metres; there are also occasional verses in
Arabic.”
Misattributions:
The phrase is
frequently misattributed to Shakespeare and similar figures on social media and
commercial products, leading to widespread confusion.
Meaning
of the Quote: The proverb serves as a reminder to find gratitude for what you
have by recognizing that others may be worse off. It emphasizes that one's
own difficulties can seem less severe when compared to the misfortunes of
others.
Life is full of
blessings, sometimes we don't value it.
We should try to live in a state of
Gratefulness because you never know what someone else has endured or is
enduring right where they are, even someone beside you, a close friend, a
family member or just a passerby who still shares you a smile.
Also you may
think that you "have it so bad" until you learn about your very own
neighbor, who is experiencing much worse challenges than your own.
"I cried because I had no shoes until I
saw a man who had no feet” in the simplest of terms means that, while one can
despair about one's wealth or situation, there is always someone poorer or less
fortunate.
This is too
intense an aphorism to be understood by mere reading. We have to experience it
in our lives, relate with it selflessly, and move a step ahead in trying to be
of help to others who may not be as fortunate as us. Each and every day we come
across some incident or the other I which we tend to crib and cry over our
being unfortunate in being in that situation, but never give it a thought that
even a mere review, introspection and deep understanding of that situation can
lead you to a resolution of that problem.
For some reason;
maybe because of the luxuries we have above those lesser fortunate souls, we
are always wanting for more! There is never a sense of satisfaction and gratitude
for what we have. I have reiterated this maxim so many times in my writing and
the content that I share, but this maxim is a part of my life, my character and
my demeanor in every way possible and so closely connects with the aphorism “I
cried when I had no shoes, but I stopped crying when I saw a man without legs.”;
which I have focused on in this post. I am sharing it below.
The maxim was taught to me by my mother and I have penned it down in a Phrase as “I grew up eating what I found on my plate and wearing what my mom could afford. That’s how I learned to be grateful and appreciative.”
There is so much
to learn in life from these intense aphorism’s and phrases. I express my
heartfelt gratitude to all those teachers, gurus, philosophers, writers,
intellectuals, and literary geniuses, whose thoughts inspire us to “Do better, be
better, and become better” human beings.
I will conclude
by leaving a humble suggestion which may help us all to understand the nuances
of truly “Living our Lives” in a better way and also making this world a better
place to live in. Make it a simple habit to just read even one aphorism, one proverb, one phrase, one saying, one
idiom, one maxim that are famous and well documented in many literary,
resources; understand the true meaning of them and try to imbibe it into our
lives and you will see a major difference in the way you perceive life, and
live it yourself and for others.
Special thanks
to resource references with due credit for the reference of Gulistan (book)
sometimes spelled as Golestan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulistan_(book)
Hoping this small and humble effort
by me will go a long way in making your lives better! Take care, Stay Happy,
Stay blessed, and God Bless!
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