27/05/2025
One day, a student mischievously stuck a piece of paper on his classmate’s back that read: *"I’m Stupid."* He signaled the other boys to stay quiet and not tell the boy. The classroom erupted in laughter. Everyone quietly snickered at him, except the boy, who sat unaware in his own world. At noon, when the math lesson began, the teacher wrote a complex problem on the blackboard, silencing the entire class. Everyone looked worried, except the boy with the mocking label on his back. He stood up confidently, walked to the board, solved the problem in moments, and returned to his seat.
The teacher, delighted, said to the class, “Give a big round of applause for this brilliant student!” Then, he gently removed the paper from the boy’s back, held it in his hand, and softly said, “It seems you didn’t know this paper was stuck on your back.” His gaze then swept across the class, and with deep seriousness, he continued, “Before I punish anyone, I want to tell you all two important things: First, throughout your life, people will keep putting negative labels and titles on you to create obstacles in your path. But if this boy had known about this prank, he might not have stepped forward with confidence and solved the problem. Second, there wasn’t a single friend in this class who stood by him and hid the insult stuck on his back. Remember, it’s not important to have many friends—what matters is how loyal and sincere your friends are. Never let the labels others put on you become your identity. If the people around you don’t respect you in your absence or stand up for you, it’s better to be alone than to be with those who only add to the crowd but don’t support you.”