A Lion Doesn't Concern Himself With The Opinion Of Sheep

By Sumit Paul, New Age Islam 20 September 2025 A few days ago, while flipping through the pages of a book at the American Library, Poona, I stumbled upon a wonderful statement, "A lion does not concern himself with the opinion of sheep." By the way, Poona and Calcutta still have different libraries, viz, British, American, German, French and even Dutch (privately-run) libraries! Coming back to George Rr Martin's famous quote, "A lion does not concern himself with the opinion of sheep," one instantaneously agrees with him. George Rr Martin encapsulates the essence of strength and individuality. He implies that a true leader, represented by a lion, does not waste his time or energy worrying about the opinions or judgments of those that lack vision and courage, such as sheep. A lion, as the king of the animal kingdom, symbolizes leadership, pride, and self-assurance. By emphasizing that a lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep, Martin challenges us to rise above the noise of conformity and embrace our own authenticity, confident in our own convictions. This quote encourages us to trust in our own abilities and instincts, to stay true to our passions and goals, even in the face of doubt or criticism. For true leaders, the opinions of others do not define or limit them. Instead, they forge their own path, guided by their unwavering belief in themselves. In fact, this quote doesn't just apply to true, honest and unstoppable leaders. It applies to all those who're focussed and disciplined in their attitude to life and approach to their goals. This is reminiscent of the famous Turkish proverb İt ürür, kervan yürür (The dog barks, the caravan moves on). We say the same thing in Hindi, "Haathi Chale Baazaar, Kutta Bhaunke Hazaar." When a person progresses with something or succeeds, the people often vilify him and protest. Let them do whatever they want to. A high-level person doesn't need anything to stop progressing or succeeding. Remember Vidur's sage advice to Karna, "Sticks and stones may break your bones; arrows may pierce your body, but words shouldn't hurt you too much." The more one succeeds, the more detractors one breeds. Life turns into hell if you start heeding what your critics say or bitch about you. Their lowly vocation shouldn't be a reason for provocation. Rabindranath Tagore faced immense criticism from D L Roy who publicly 'advised' Tagore to stop writing. Had Tagore valued D L Roy's 'advice,' the world of literature would have been deprived of Tagore's immortal writings. Had the Bard of Avon been affected by his contemporary critic and playwright Robert Greene calling him an "upstart Crow," we'd not be able to read Shakespeare's immortal works. Had Harihar Jethalal Jariwala given even a semblance of importance to the Hindi and Urdu-speaking critics like Chamanlal, Shanti Prakash and Idris Warsi saying, "Ye Gujju Kya Hindi Aur Urdu Bol Payega" (How can this Gujarati be able to speak in Hindi and Urdu?), he'd never have been the peerless Sanjeev Kumar. People try to thwart and impede the juggernaut of your progress because deep down they're aware that they lack what you've in abundance. Genius is always jeered at and talent is always taunted, traduced and trivialised. Jab Chal Pade Safar Ko Toh Kya Mud Ke Dekhna / Duniya Ka Kya Hai Uss Ne Sada Baar-Baar Dee (Once you embark upon a journey, don't look back / The world has a tendency to discourage you). ----- A regular columnist for New Age Islam, Sumit Paul is a researcher in comparative religions, with special reference to Islam. He has contributed articles to the world's premier publications in several languages including Persian. URl: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/lion-concern-opinion-sheep/d/136910 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism