Household Atmosphere

Wife of the great philosopher Socrates was very ill-nature. His house was always crowded by his followers' and visitors and she detested it. She scorned at guests instead of welcoming them.

One day the gathering was especially large and Socrates was delivering his discourse. His wife felt disturbed by the crowd and got angry. Filled with rage she went up to the balcony and started shouting at his followers angrily shouting them to go away from the house. Socrates signaled his followers not to listen to her and continued with his discourse. This enraged her even more and she started throwing dirty water on the gathering as well as hurling at them.

Socrates did not lose his calm and instead remarked jokingly "Did you all see, till now, clouds were thundering and now it has started raining as well". The people in the gathering broke into laughter.

One of the qualities of great men is their ability to deal with ill-tempered people with gentle humor.

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Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results. This is but saying that nothing can come from corn but corn, nothing but nettles from nettles. Most people know that this law works in the physical world and hence act accordingly; but very few people understand that it also operates in the subtle and causal realms, and as a result they do not follow it.

Suffering is always the effect of wrong thoughts in some direction. It is an indication that the individual is out of harmony with himself, with the law of his being. The sole and supreme aim of suffering is to purify, to burn out all that is useless and impure. Suffering ceases for a person who is pure. There is no point in burning gold after the dross has been removed.

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Truth when spoken is never soothing is never the truth. Goodness will never create enemies and enmity will never lead to goodness. Wise men speak very rarely and those who talk excessively are never wise.

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A time comes in most men's live when the bell rings for prayer, and unhappy are they who, when it does, have nowhere to carry their heart's supplications.

Augustine Birrell