Some people have extraordinary inherent qualities, due to which they are able to become masters of all situations. Such individuals can, when they come to a gathering, win the hearts and minds of people simply by appearing there. There is a saying about such persons: They came, they saw, they conquered.
This kind of ability to conquer is not the monopoly of extraordinary people. Any ordinary person also can win the hearts and minds of people, provided he knows the law of nature and can avail of it by the power known as the power of spirituality. According to the creation plan of God, all human beings, both men and women, have two quite different qualities – the ego and the conscience. The ego symbolizes arrogance, while the conscience symbolizes modesty.
If there is a controversy between two men, Mr. A and Mr. B, and Mr. A enters into a heated exchange and refuses to give Mr. B due respect and honour. This kind of behaviour is bound to provoke Mr. B, who will try to teach Mr. A a lesson. It is this situation which one psychologist has analyzed thus: “When one’s ego is touched, it turns into super ego and the result is breakdown.”
In this case Mr. A gave a challenge to Mr. B and Mr. B turned into Mr. Ego or Mr. Arrogant. This kind of behaviour will certainly go against Mr. A. Mr. A will fail to gain the upper hand over Mr. B.
Then let us take the opposite case. Suppose there is a controversy between Mr. A and Mr. B., in the course of which Mr. A avoids provoking Mr. B, having followed the principle of modesty – a unilateral compromise. This kind of behaviour on the part of Mr. A is bound to touch the conscience of Mr. B. It will cause him to engage in introspection, and he will reconsider the whole matter. He will ultimately repent having behaved in such a way as was likely to cause friction. Where previously he had considered Mr. A as Mr. Rival, he will now discover Mr. A to be his friend.
This kind of behaviour by Mr. A will change the whole scenario: a different situation is bound to emerge. It will prove that: when one’s conscience is touched, it turns into super conscience and the result is complete surrender. This second formula is within the reach of every human being, and can be used quite successfully by him, however unintelligent or ordinary he may be. When you use the formula of conscience you are turning your rival against himself and it is a fact that one can fight against others but no one has the power to fight against himself. Herein lies the conquering ability of a modest person.
One can say that the second formula is a risky formula. There is every possibility that this kind of behaviour will make the other person more arrogant. He will react more aggressively. He will be more dangerous than before. But this view is completely unfounded, because it is due to an ignorance of the power of nature, or more precisely, the power of spirituality. According to nature if you challenge someone’s ego, your success is doubtful but when you challenge someone’s conscience, then your success is guaranteed.
People generally know the power of fighting but a wise person will tell you that the power of conscience is greater than the power of ego. At the time of a controversy, if you choose to fight, you will need arms but when you opt for the spiritual method, you don’t need any arms. The power of positive behaviour can triumph over the power of negativity, while the power of negativity cannot win anything – it can only lead to destruction.
Source: Leading a Spiritual Life
