We continue with the series of teachings by Hazrat Inayat Khan on the art of personality.  The previous post in the series may be found here. The text below speaks of ‘economizing’, an unusual term for Hazrat Inayat, but one which suggests ‘saving, or spending less’ – in this case, spending less energy in speech and action, to save one’s own resources and to avoid putting a burden on those around us.

There is a sense of economizing to be found more or less in every soul; and when this tendency works with [i.e. in harmony with, or to the benefit of –ed.] those around one and those with whom one comes in contact, one develops one’s personality. The desire to spare another, to have patience instead of trying his patience to the uttermost, is the tendency to economy, a higher understanding of economy. To try to spare another from using his energy in the way of thought, speech, and action, all saves his energy for the other, and for oneself it is adding beauty to one’s personality. A person ignorant of this in time becomes a drag upon others. He may be innocent, but he can be a nuisance; for he neither has consideration for his own energy nor for others.

This consideration comes to one from the moment one begins to realize the value of life. As a man begins to consider this subject he spares himself unnecessary thought, speech, or action, and uses his own thought, speech, and action economically; and by valuing one’s own life and action one learns to value the same in others. The time of human life on earth is most precious, and the more one practices economical use of the precious time and energy, the more one knows how to make the best of life.

Apart from one’s own speech, even hearing another speak is a continual tension; it robs a person of his time and energy. The one who cannot understand, or at least does not try to understand something spoken in one word, and wants to put into a sentence what can be said in one word, certainly has no sense of economy; for economizing with one’s money is much less important than the economy of one’s life and energy and that of others. For the sake of beauty, grace, and respect, when dealing with others one must go so far and no further.

One cannot drive with the same whip a friend, an acquaintance, and a stranger. There again the question of economy must be considered. Without the sense of economy, one might try the goodness, kindness, generosity, and endurance of others to such a degree that in the end of the trial it would work out to the disadvantage of both. The person who is sensible enough to guard his own interest in life may be called clever, but the one who guards the interests of others even more than his own is wise; for in this way he does things, without knowing, to his own advantage also. It is the same sense of economy which one uses with little things in one’s daily life at home and in business; the same sense used in a higher form, by thoughtfulness and consideration, makes one more capable of serving others, which is the religion of religions.