Needed, a Mixture of Opposites

One quality required of the people of Paradise is the ability to refrain from creating a nuisance for others, i.e. the ability to live in society in complete peace and tranquillity.

So every man and woman must be very cautious in this regard. You must understand that when you create a nuisance for others, it is not simply a problem for those others but is also a great problem for you, because such behaviour will certainly prevent you from being included in the list of those who will enter Paradise. No one can afford to indulge in this kind of behaviour.

How should we define ‘nuisance’? Any part of your behaviour that is found undesirable by your fellow beings is a nuisance. You cannot say that you did not act in this manner for the sake of creating a nuisance for others; it is not your opinion that determines what is a nuisance and what is not; it is your fellow beings who have the sole right to determine what is a nuisance and what is not.

In this situation, you have no excuse; you have no right to say that your intentions were good. In this case, good intentions and bad intentions are not relevant; the only thing that matters is the reaction of your fellow beings. If your behaviour is acceptable to your fellow beings, then it is not a nuisance and if your behaviour is not acceptable to your fellow beings, then it is certainly a nuisance. ‘Nuisance’ is obviously not a sin. But it is as bad as a sin, because when you hurt the sentiments of your fellow beings, your actions in terms of their results are certainly a sin.

The Importance of Playing a Secondary Role

These differences between people are not simply a matter of disparity or discrimination: there is great wisdom behind these differences. They give us a form of direction on how to manage our social system. In simple language, this means that one person must take the primary role and all other members of society must accept a secondary role. This is the only method of organization by means of which a society can achieve its highest targets.

It is a fact that a great achievement requires the joint efforts of a great number of people; a single individual on his own cannot achieve the highest of social goals. So, what is the formula for a successful joint effort of this kind? It is: give one able person the role of leadership, while all other persons take a back seat and play a secondary role.

It is a fact that, without joint efforts, no high goal can be achieved, but joint efforts always need someone at the helm of affairs. Without a boss you cannot run a company, without a prime minister you cannot run a government, without the head of the family you cannot run a home, without a coordinator, or a supervisor, you cannot run a joint effort. Adherence to the principle of leadership is an integral part of any successful joint effort.