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Quote by Alan Cohen

Author

Alan Cohen

Alan Cohen, born on February 28, 1950, is a renowned writer whose works span a variety of genres, including humor, philosophy, and self-help. Cohen is known for his unique sense of humor and profound insights, and his books have been beloved by readers worldwide. more

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“Father Ratti had often explained, in Religious Knowledge class, that true humility did not mean a sense of worthlessness or the kind of timidity that caused some people to be cheated and bullied all their lives. The virtue of humility, Ratti said, was merely the faculty of intelligence operating properly "The man of wisdom," Ratti explained once, "fears only one man on earth. Do you know who that is?" And when everybody guessed wrong — some said the Pope, some said King Ferdinand — Ratti said, "The man of wisdom fears himself. He knows who it is who tells him the most plausible lies, the lies he wants to believe.”

“At the end of it all, it is our relationship with people that will determine whether they will share in our pain if we fall into dangers.”

“Krupa (divine grace) means ‘every time sincere’. Without becoming suitable for naimitik krupa (apparent grace), one cannot attain the nischay (Realization that I am Pure Soul). Even in the Kramic (step by step) path, there is naimitk krupa. ‘We’ shower down special grace. ‘Our’ grace descends upon one due to ultimate humility. Only thing required is ‘complete sincerity’.”

“A high school student wrote to ask, "What was the greatest event in American history?" I can't say. However, I suspect that like so many "great" events, it was something very simple and very quiet with little or no fanfare (such as someone forgiving someone else for a deep hurt that eventually changed the course of history). The really important "great" things are never center stage of life's dramas; they're always "in the wings". That's why it's so essential for us to be mindful of the humble and the deep rather than the flashy and the superficial.”

“Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, 'By jove! I'm being humble!', and almost immediately pride—pride at his own humility—will appear. If he awakes to the danger and tries to smother this new form of pride, make him proud of his attempt—and so on, through as many stages a you please. But don't try this too long, for fear you may awake his sense of humour and proportion, in which case he will merely laugh at you and go to bed.”

“The point at which things happen is a decision. In stead of focusing on yourself, focus on how you can help someone else.”