A Rock Unmoved by Praise and Blame
As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so the wise are not moved by blame or praise.
Do I swell at praise and shrink at blame, swaying with others' mouths?
📝Reflection
Blame and praise are the same wind, only in different directions. Yet we swell endlessly at praise and sink at blame — as if others' mouths held the remote to our mood. The rock in this verse is not gruffness or arrogance. It is the composure of one who holds a firm standard within and so does not rise and fall with outside judgment. Praise does not make me a better person, nor blame a worse one. I am simply who I am. One rooted in this plain fact stays calm even on windy days. Others' judgment is only weather, not my essence.
🌱Apply It Today
When you hear praise or blame today, before reacting, say inwardly: "this is weather, not my essence."
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
