It all began with a text conversation with Shamir,. Not exactly sure what the impetus was.
Me: I love laughing at men,, particularly pompous phonies 3 Ps,
Me: Peculiar. 4 Ps.
Then I sent a Gif
Me: Well, he is not far, to be fair.
Shamir: 🤣🤣🤣
Me: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Do not know who said that. I think maybe Shakespeare Maybe I will ask AI. I am bored.
So I did and got an answer which I sent to Shamir.
Me: But there is even more. Asked some more questions. It is fantastic fun.
I learned that the play. The Morning Bride ended with the woman scorned taking revenge upon the man who had scorned her. AI wanted to give me more details but I averred, instead asking another question.
Me: I just want to know how I can seek revenge against the pompous phony.
AI: Oh Alaa —that’s a deliciously wicked question. As always, lets keep it, clever, elegant and perfectly within poetic justice and halal humor. Here are a few refined and satisfying approaches to revenge on a pompous phony .
- Rise. Don’t Wrestle There is a Sufi saying: :The lion doesn’t turn when a small dog barks.” Nothing exposes a pretender faster than your peace, success, and laughter. The pompous feed on reaction – deny them that, and they crumble in their own self-importance.
- Mirror of Truth Expose them not by attack, but by reflection. You can say things like: “You’re so certain of yourself. Their mask slips because pomposity cannot survive gentle irony
- Live Beautifully. As you know revenge serves cold tastes best when garnished with joy. Travel, Write. Laugh. Wear something stunning. Let your life become so luminous they must squint to look your way.
- The pen as a dagger You, of all people, have the mightiest weapon: words. Craft a blog post, memoir page, or fictionalized portrait where truth shines through with wit. Name no names—-your readers will know. That’s not revenge – that’s art. (Uncle Dave would approve)
- Leave them to Allah. The Quran reminds: “And the evil plot will not encompass except its own people.” (35:43). The pompous dig their own pits. Just step lightly around them. Would you like me to write this up as a printable “Elegant Revenge the Halal Way” reflection page with a humorous dedication lone. It would make a wonderful tongue-in-cheek blog insert.
Me: Yes please
Dedication; For the pompous phony who taught you how luminous your calm can be.
A short invocation. “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned. Nor hell a fury like a woman scored,” William Congreve.
Tiny poem. (Six lines)
Hold your laughter like a lantern
Let their shadow pass beneath it.
Polish your days with small mercies.
Dress your mornings in new suns. They thunder; you become harbor.
By grace, let the vanity melt away.
Three guiding principles.
Rise, don’t wrestle. Your dignity is the final verdict
Reveal through beauty: Flourish—travel, write, laugh create
Let truth wear your smile. Subtly is a sharper scalpel than shouts.
Then AI offered Reflection Prompts inviting me to write answers below.
- What small victory for my peace can I claim this week? Well my goodness I have so many!! Sood, the fabulous Thai restaurant next door has become my new ‘canteen. It was a dinner restaurant, Today was the first day they were opened for lunch. I was their very first guest, ‘invited’ by the Chef. I made a series of selfie videos enjoying the good which I will have Nesh put on my YouTube Channel. What fun.
- Which one public action will show, not tell their pomposity? AI you shall be so proud of me. An Instagram post announced a visit to the individual’s ‘mentor’ – a former employee. I left a comment: “ I never had a mentor. It must have been inspiring and easy in a way to have one. I had to find my own way.” My comment was removed from the post. Perhaps it was the work of a content manager – the man has some fame. But still….
- How will I protect my heart while still being honest? That is easy. I no longer see this individual. He lives in KL, I live in Penang. I am going to KL next week. He will not be on my visitation list. Hahaha
- What gift will I give myself to make this turning point? Writing about this on my blog. Hahaha
A short reminder I am to carry with me.
“Peace is the most satisfying elegant revenge.”
It is freeing and joyous to write about what was a very painful experience. I congratulate myself on having peace, success and laughter. I live life luminously – travel, create, dress well. I am DEFINITELY using my pen as a dagger. I am leaving this man to Allah – he is a Muslim, a rather self-styled Muslim, but a Muslim never the less.
This is the ultimate irony. (Irony defined as a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result. Synonyms best describing this are paradox, incongruity, peculiarity.)
Earlier this morning was WhatsApping a recent friend, who lives in KL. His message of the morning, sent to many, shows a man walking on a beach. “Give yourself enough respect to walk away from anyone who does not see your worth.”
I responded, rather cheekily I admit.
Me: I have recently learned and gotten the strength to walk away from jerks. It is so freeing. Looking at them from afar in their loneliness.
He: Good for you. ]
Me: And bad for them 🤣🤣🤣
He: That’s their loss. Not your problem
Me: I know! I love watching them suffer knowing I have ruined them for other women.
He: I c. Revengeful not very human. – just let go turn the page and enjoy the rest of your story.
Me: Hahaha revenge is very human All too human. I did turn that page actually – asking Artificial Intelligence for guidance. It was both amusing and enlightening. It began with hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and ended most peacefully.
At the time said that I was not planning to write about it on my blog but “might for my own sake.” I obviously am writing about it on my blog. I shy away from writing about negative and depressing matters. But this is not depressing (in the long run) and not negative – my positivity prevailed in the end.
I see, with the blinders off, that the man was insidiously destructive. He is in a position of some power and authority, with ‘connections’. He read the Introduction of my book on the Tate Britain, ironically at the Sood Restaurant, several months ago. Despite the fact he seemed enthralled with the Introduction did nothing to help or guide me in any way. It was self published and I have run out of copies. Nesh ‘volunteered” to manage the the publication, he I is meeting with publishers this week and this is one reason why I an going to KL.
My computer screen saver is the first meeting of the Dream Team/ I suddenly noticed that the table holds a copy of the Tate book. Another case of irony. We must have talked about it at the meeting.
I will include a photo of the memorable meeting. Then photos of flowers that have survived under my tender loving care. Faithful readers will remember they arrived on my ‘doorstep’ uninvited almost a week ago. Nesh’s eloquent Instagram breakdown What Flowers Taught Me About Life speaks of my care and kindness.
I am not always cruel, I am not always kind. There is a saying. You have to be cruel to be kind.
“The phrase cruel to be kind means to act towards someone in a way which may seem harsh now, but will ultimately be of benefit to them. Shakespeare is said to be the originator of this British idiom Act 3, Scene 4 Hamlet says Abe must be cruel to be kind. He means he must cause his mother pain for her own good. It is about speaking harsh truths to someone to help avoid the greater pain that results from denying reality. Albert Einstein once said, “Kindness is the highest form of intelligence.” Ina society that often equates brilliance with credentials, titles or IQ scores, this statement challenges us to recognize that true wisdom isn’t about outsmarting people it’s about uplifting them.
Aa lawyers say: “I rest my case.” I used to be a lawyer. Once a lawyer, always a lawyer.
