There was silence in the classroom. The confused students switched glances between the teacher and the blackboard. No one had an answer to the teacher’s question. Such was the question. The teacher had drawn a long line on the blackboard as he had entered the classroom, without uttering a word. Then, turning to the students, he had asked, “Which of you can shorten this line without touching it?”
“That’s impossible,” replied the smartest student in the class, finally breaking the silence. “To make the line shorter, it would have to be erased and we are not even allowed to touch the line.” The rest of the students nodded in agreement as well. The teacher looked at the students with deep eyes and without saying anything drew another line on the blackboard parallel to the previous line, but longer than it. After this, everyone saw that the teacher had shortened the previous line without touching it. Students learned the biggest lesson of their lives today. In a few moments they had learned the art of getting ahead of others without harming them, defaming them, envying them, or fighting them.
God has created man with such a nature that it is in his instinct to compare himself to others and get ahead of them. One way to accomplish this is to try to belittle them. But in this case, we ourselves do not grow. Another way is to focus on making yourself strong, powerful and great without competing with others. Others become smaller in this case as well, but the real thing is that in this process man himself grows greater.
To advance without competing with others is the true way of progressing in God’s world. This is the only way to long-lasting and sustainable growth for both the individual and the nation.
Translated by Ali Zafar