Dalia

“I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

“One of the greatest tragedies in life is to lose your own sense of self and accept the version of you that is expected by everyone else.”
― K.L. Toth

“Stand up to ignorance, because if you don't, the ignorant will run free to spread ignorance like a disease.”
― Suzy Kassem, Rise Up and Salute the Sun: The Writings of Suzy Kassem

“لماذا جِـئـتَ تَـطـلبُ أن أضحي وأنسى نَزفَ جُرحيِ
أجِـئْـتَ مُـواسياً يا صديـقي أم يُـهـمُـكَ أن ترى آثـارَ ذبـحــي؟
نـعـم أنا الذّبـيـحُ وأنت مِـثـلي تُـقـاسـي نـارَ جُـرحٍ ذاتَ لـفـحِ
لقد أغـلـقْـتُ دونكَ بابَ قـلبـي، فلا تَقرَع بـِقـبـضَـةِ نادمٍ إن شِئتَ نُصحِي
لماذا عُـدتَ تَـنـفُـخُ فـي رَمَادي وجَمْراً نائـمـاً فـيـه تُـــصــحي؟
زرعـنا في ثرى الود ورداً فرويته من آبـارِ مـلــــــــــحِ
ماتَ الـوردُ وضاعت جـهـودُك في إغـاثـتـه وكـــدحِ
ولـيـس يـُفـيـدُني مِنـك اعتذارٌ ولا يُجـدي التراجعُ و الـتـنـحّي
ولستُ مُبدلاً حُــبــّــــــي بكرهٍ ولا عِــــزّ الجـبـال بـذُلِ سَـفْـح
مـعـارِكُـنـا انتـهَت مـعـارِكُـنـا انتـهَت
أفلا تَراني قد رميتُ مُـهـنـّدي وكسرتُ رُمحي؟”
― مانع سعيد العتيبة