He was a very rich man and accustomed to being flattered by those around him.
The people of the town were raving in praise of him, who had become arrogant.
But there was a very poor man who did not lavish any kind of flattery and who was indifferent to the opulence and power of the rich man.
Wounded in his pride, the rich man summoned the poor man and said:
-Let's see, if I gave you twenty percent of my fortune, would you flatter me?
The poor man, without hesitation, replied:
-It would be a too unequal cast to make you deserving of my compliments.
-But, if I gave you half of my fortune? - insisted the rich
-In that case we would be on equal terms and there would be no reason to flatter you.
The rich returned try:
-But, if I gave you all my fortune?
-If I were the owner of such a fortune, why should I flatter you?
Out of himself, wounded in the depths of his being, the rich man turned and walked away.
Nothing disturbs the mind so much and clouds emotions and behavior as vanity does. Self-centeredness makes us vulnerable and dependent and keeps us away from others, even distancing us from our own being.
On the path of self-liberation, one must learn to master the ego and overcome the negative emotions on which it feeds: pride, envy, manipulation, control.