I was thinking of Pride today - the concept.
Pride in the English language has negative connotations, as in false pride. Again the French are more sophisticated than the English - they call it Fierte. False pride is called Orgueil or fausse fierte
In Arabic, Pride has a different meaning - it is called Izzat Al Nafs. Izzat Al Nafs means you have consideration for yourself. It means you will not humble yourself down to anyone except your Maker. Izzat al Nafs does not have any negative side to it, as another noun is used for that purpose - and that is Ghoroor, meaning conceit, and can mean false pride - Ghoroor al Nafs - the conceit of the soul (false pride or false egos). A trait unfortunately seen in most Arab and Eastern men - which they deliberate mistake as Izzat Al Nafs...
In the Eastern male psyche,(Arabs and the rest of the clowns) since all is limited to his own ego, he has a hard time differentiating between what is Izzat Al Nafs (real pride derived from correct action) and Ghoroor (false pride derived from illusions of self). Hence our clowns are always justifying wrong actions in the name of Izzat Al Nafs, when it is nothing but Ghoroor Al Nafs, a Nafs (a soul) unable to confront itself and take responsibility.
Leaving this defeated specimen, aside - Izzat al Nafs is also used to designate honor and dignity. Pride, dignity and honor are a triangle - they are used interchangeably sometimes.
In the above context, the triangle does not designate some false sense of self, but something more permanent - a knowing of origins. Origins that are not necessarily related to clan, family, class or tribe...an origin that is beyond all these societal notions, an origin that derives itself from history in the largest sense of the word. A History with a capital H.
Maybe our specimens ought to dig into their History a little more, instead of having it limited to their crotch, to what is between their legs and which they often mistake for their Soul.
