Don’t Corrupt Your Personality

One who develops a virtuous personality succeeds, and one who corrupts his personality fails, in the present world as well as in the Hereafter.

On the subject of the human soul, chapter 91 of the Quran says: “He who purifies it will indeed be successful and he who corrupts it is sure to fail.” (91:9-10)

In the present world, a person has two distinct possibilities before him. One is the possibility of developing a virtuous personality and the other is of corrupting his personality.

These two possibilities exist for everyone in all situations. One who avails of the former possibility succeeds, while one who opts for the latter, fails.

The world presents a person with all kinds of circumstances. Here one is repeatedly faced with different types of people. It is in dealing with these situations and incidents that the human personality develops. For instance when you suffer a temporary loss, if you take it as something permanent, you will become disheartened. On the contrary, if you regard it as something of a temporary nature, you will proceed with courage and confidence.

Similarly, if, in response to acts of provocations you become provoked, it follows that your concentration will be disturbed. But if you face such situations with patience and forbearance, this will show that you have been able to maintain your mental equilibrium. Then again, you sometimes feel that others are not attaching as much importance as is due to you as your merit. This gives you an inferiority complex. Such experiences cause your capabilities to become diminished. However, if you attribute this state of mind to incomplete preparation, such incidents would act as an incentive to work harder and by doing so, you will be able to find in the future you have failed to find in the present.