On Khalil Gibran: Joy that remains untouched by defeat

“Defeat, my Defeat, my solitude and my aloofness;

You are dearer to me than a thousand triumphs,

And sweeter to my heart than all world-glory. “

~Khalil Gibran

Acharya Prashant: The question is, “How can defeat be sweet? How can there be joy in being shunned and scorned?”

There is no particular glory or joy in defeat. In fact, the moment one looks for glory or joy in particular events or happenings, joy has been constrained, localized, and hence lost.

The poet here is talking of defeat because man has taken defeat as abhorrent. Victory is likable, defeat is to be avoided and shunned. Victory is likable because man associates joy with victory, and the loss of joy with defeat. Whenever joy is thus made conditional, it is certain that there is no joy in defeat, and there is also no joy in victory. And when joy there is, joy remains equally in victory and in defeat.

The problem that our mind faces with statements like the one I just made, is that these statements do not subscribe to any particular definition of joy. To really understand these statements one will have to bow down to joy rather than try…