Wisdom, Number 20

A king should never let his anger against his enemies burn so hot that his friends lose their trust in him. The fire of anger first scorches the one who holds it, and only then does its flame reach the enemy, if it reaches him at all. It does not suit the children of Adam, born from dust, to fill their heads with arrogance, harshness, and pride. With all this heat and defiance in you, I would think you were made of fire, not dust. In the land of Baylaqan I met a devout man and said: through your teaching, cleanse me of ignorance. He said: Go, be patient like the dust, my learned friend, or bury everything you have studied beneath the dust.