Do not be pleased if all people unanimously agree to love you, for they only unite in loving the weak and pathetic man who strips himself of his own self, his mind, his opinions, and his feelings, then crouches on his haunches beneath their feet like a submissive dog. They strike him and he endures; they toy with him and he wags his tail seeking their approval; they call him and he approaches; they rebuke him and he retreats.
And do not be pleased if they unanimously agree to hate you, for they only unite in hating the wicked and evil ones who love no one among mankind, and thus no one among mankind loves them.
But let it please you if they differ regarding you, and divide over your affair, and go in every direction when viewing you and estimating your rank. For that is the sign of greatness, and that is the way of the great man.
— Mustafa Lutfi Al-Manfaluti
Understanding True Worth
Mustafa Lutfi Al-Manfaluti, one of Egypt’s most celebrated literary figures, offers profound wisdom about human nature and the paradox of public opinion. His words challenge our instinctive desire for universal approval, revealing that unanimous love often comes at the price of dignity and authenticity. When everyone agrees to love you, it typically means you have become a reflection of their desires rather than a person of substance—someone who bends so completely to others’ expectations that you lose yourself entirely. Such universal affection is not tribute to your character but evidence of your submission, like a trained animal that has learned to suppress its nature for the comfort of its masters.
Similarly, Al-Manfaluti warns against taking pride in being universally despised, for this too indicates a failure of character—not strength, but wickedness. The truly malevolent person who harbors no love for humanity naturally earns universal contempt, and there is no nobility in such isolation. It is not the mark of an independent thinker or courageous soul, but rather the consequence of a heart that has closed itself to human connection and compassion. Between these two extremes—the servile people-pleaser and the misanthropic villain—lies the territory of genuine greatness.
The true measure of a person’s worth, Al-Manfaluti argues, is not unanimous opinion but divided opinion. When people disagree about you—when some admire you intensely while others criticize you sharply, when your positions inspire both passionate support and fierce opposition—you have achieved something rare: you have stood for something meaningful. Great leaders, thinkers, artists, and reformers throughout history have always been controversial figures precisely because they refused to dilute their vision to achieve consensus. They maintained their principles even when those principles created conflict, spoke their truth even when that truth disturbed comfortable lies, and pursued their calling even when that pursuit alienated those who preferred the status quo. It is this willingness to be divisive, not for the sake of division itself but in service of truth and conviction, that marks the difference between the forgettable and the unforgettable, between those who fade into the crowd and those who change the world.
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