The proverb “The grapes you can’t reach are said to be sour” — (Palestinian-Jordanian dialect) There was a guy named Nader who liked to act like nothing really mattered to him. In the neighborhood, his friend Wisam bought a new car after years of hard work and effort. All the guys were happy for him… except Nader. The moment he saw the car, he acted like he didn’t care and said: “What’s so great about this car? It’s just wasted money and endless expenses… cars are nothing but headaches.” Even though he had wanted a car for a long time. After a while, a girl in the neighborhood started a small business, and it became successful quickly. People began supporting her and speaking well of her. Nader commented again: “Does she think she’s the first person to start a business? Give it a few days, it’ll shut down.” Even though he himself had tried to start a business before, and it didn’t work out. His sister was watching him quietly. One day, they were sitting outside looking at a big new house that had just been built in the neighborhood. Nader immediately said: “A big house doesn’t bring happiness… it’s all fake show-off stuff.” His sister looked at him and said: “Really? Okay then… if that house were yours, would you still be saying the same thing?” Nader went quiet for a moment. For the first time, he felt like her words hit a nerve. His sister continued: “Nader… the grapes you can’t reach are said to be sour.” He laughed awkwardly and said: “Maybe… maybe you’re right.” That’s when he realized that not everything other people have needs to be criticized… maybe he was just upset because he wanted those things himself and couldn’t reach them. From that day on, he tried to be honest with himself. If he liked something, he admitted it. The proverb “The grapes you can’t reach are said to be sour” is used when someone puts down something or speaks badly about it… but in reality, it’s because they can’t have it or don’t possess it — and if they did, they would definitely be praising it.