Have you ever wondered why you feel anxious or uncomfortable in the presence of certain people? When standing before them or speaking to them, why do you experience nervousness, hesitation, or even trembling? It’s because you perceive them as superior-more talented, wealthier, more attractive, or more knowledgeable. You feel unworthy to stand in front of them and this leads to a sense of inferiority.
On the other hand, when interacting with certain others, you might display arrogance or even mockery. Your body language may reflect a sense of superiority. Why does this happen? Because you consider them insignificant. This mindset stems from a sense of self-importance-a superiority complex.
Both inferiority and superiority complexes are unhealthy. No one is inherently better or worse than another. Every person has their own significance and place in the world and each individual deserves recognition and respect. Every person is unique. It is this uniqueness that makes each of us valuable. We cannot do everything, nor can we know everything. There are many jobs we might dismiss as insignificant, yet we ourselves may not be able to perform them. But we still depend on those who can. Even the most dignified individuals must bow their heads before a barber. The same is true for most things in life-what we lack in knowledge or ability, someone else possesses and executes skillfully.
‘I have a skill that you don’t, and you have a skill that I don’t.’
When we understand this, we neither belittle others nor place ourselves on a pedestal. The unwillingness to respect others or the tendency to ignore them stems from a lack of this awareness. But once we recognize that everyone is fundamentally equal, we can live without unnecessary comparisons or ego-driven conflicts.
Many people lose their peace of mind because of this: ‘Oh no, I’m not as successful as him.”I am not as beautiful as her.” These thoughts are natural from time to time, but if we let them take over, they will destroy our inner peace. True harmony comes from understanding that we all have value in different ways. Only then can we live in this world without unnecessary pride or self-doubt.
