The greatest strength

By now, I think, it is unnecessary for me to belabor the point that you need to take these superlatives...like 'greatest'...with a pinch of salt. Much like you have learned to not take GOAT literally. After all, even if that 'AT' means 'All Times', it is difficult to think of that as true when the GOAT in cricket, say, changes almost every match even based on the same person's opinions.

Tiru, then, says this at this time...

Inmaiyul inmai virundhoraal vanmaiyul vanmai madavaar porai - Tirukkural

The greatest poverty is failing in hospitality; the greatest strength is in bearing with the stupid - Loose Translation

It always surprises me to see the central place that is given to hospitality in India. At least, that certainly seems to have been the case in Tiru's times. Imagine that he does not even place the inability to feed the family at the heart of his definition of 'greatest poverty'. He thinks that the heights of poverty is the inability to be hospitable to one's guests. Now THAT is placing hospitality on a pedestal that cannot be approached by anything else.

But this Kural is not really about hospitality. Hospitality, in Thirukkural, has an entire set of ten kurals devoted to it. In this one, it is more a comparison. Sort of 'Just as lack of hospitality indicates dire poverty, ability to bear with the stupid indicates the greatest strength.'

I know, I know! We see strength only in decimating the opposition. AND, going by the spectacles in movies and on TV, in the goriest manner possible. Here Tiru is talking about only 'bearing with' people. Merely defensive. AND bearing with the STUPID? I mean, you don't become a Rajinikant doing just that, now, do you?

AND, yet, it takes great mental strength to allow the stupid to keep spouting nonsense without asking them to put a sock in it. But...consider! How often is it that you have people in power spout nonsense to you? (Are they stupid? Anyone IS being stupid if he lays down the law on something that he is ignorant about. How often has that happened to you?) To be able to keep your cool and to get your way...THAT's great mental strength.

Of course, the stupid abound even in personal life. Should you exercise this strength even with them. I'd say yes because you should...

Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!