Proverb Expansion
VIRTUE IS ITS OWN REWARD
Man is by nature selfish. The selfishness in him prompts him to do evil deeds. But goodness is also present in man. Life is a mixture of good and evil. Virtue means goodness. A virtuous person is essentially good. His mind is free from selfishness and he does not harm others. Instead, he helps people through his food words and deeds. He is a man of principles. The essential quality of a virtuous person is that he does not expect any reward for his good deeds. The reward that he gets is the satisfaction of having done a good thing. Anyone who expects a reward for his virtuous deed is not essentially virtuous. A person who resorts to foul methods to attain something may not succeed. But a virtuous person’s good deeds will lead him to success. A virtuous person may face some difficulties initially. But he will not give up because he is fully aware that virtue triumphs in the end. Even if dishonest people try to defeat him he will win in the end. The satisfaction that he gets then cannot be equaled by the achievement of something gained by unjust means. A virtuous person always enjoys peace of mind and this helps him to lead a contented life. So it is rightly said that virtue is its own reward.