Adversity doth best discoverth virtues; and prosperity, vices.
Mankind can be divided into two races: The rich and the Poor, the ‘Haves’ and ‘Have-nots’, the privileged and the unprivileged. The rich are born with silver spoons in their mouth. They live and flourish in comforts and luxuries. Prosperity makes them blind. They do not cast a glance at the poor and their sufferings.
There are others, the poor. Fortune does not smile on them. They are born in poverty, live and die in poverty. They earn and live on hard and honest labour. They are low. It is a wise saying: “Those who are low, need not fear a fall.’ They are contented, so they do not know what they have missed in life. They learn to see comfort through the clouds. Adversity is their life companion.
People in general, think that happiness in life, depends on riches or wealth. It is a mistaken idea. No doubt money can make the run of life easier, but it can not purchase happiness. Happiness is a condition of mind. It springs from within. Contentment is the first condition of happiness. True happiness is found only in the dwellings of the poor. They live by honest labour and mutual help.
It is true that good qualities like industry, honesty, perseverance, mutual love, contentment, patience, simplicity and sense of service grow in the soil of adversity. The people of adversity or the unfavoured are always thankful to God for His bounties. They do not struggle to showdown others. On the other hand the life of rich people is full of social vanities. They do not live by honest earnings. It is the Hadith of the holy prophet (SAW) that honest earnings are always small. The poor live by the sweat of their brow. [the_ad id=”17141″]
Adversity is a blessing in disguise. Difficulties are brought to light by a sudden calamity. In certain cases a genius needs the sharp and sudden blow of adversity to bring out the divine spark. Constant struggle leads to success. Great men are inspired by sense of duty and fight out their way through great odds and difficulties.
Great poets and writers have to pass through fire of sufferings. Keats says: All great poetry is born out of sufferings. The great essayist Lord Bacon says: ‘Adversity doth best discover virtue’. Indeed, adversity is the best source of strength, discipline, courage and virtue. Ease and comforts make a person dull, careless and lethargic. Adversity is the touchstone of character. Adversity chastens and sweetens nature, teaches patience and inspires noble thoughts.
After passing through adversity, prosperity becomes more pleasant and pleasing. Joys are sweeter because of sorrows. Hunger makes dishes more tasty. A person who has not passed through the fire of sufferings, can not really appreciate joys. It has been rightly said: “Prosperity brings friends and adversity tries them”. The flatters leave in time of difficulties. “Friendship is made more secrad by adversity.
While in sufferings, man turns to God, but as soon as they are over, he forgets His blessings. Adversity makes us God fearing and religious. Adversity is a great boon. It brings out the best in the character of a person. We must welcome sorrow and sufferings, so that we may really relish joys.
