He who seeks truth shall find beauty. He who seeks beauty shall find vanity. He who seeks order shall find gratification. He who seeks gratification shall be disappointed. He who considers himself the servant of his fellow beings shall find the joy of self-expression. He who seeks self-expression shall fall into the pit of arrogance.

Safdie frames creative and ethical life as a hierarchy of motives and their consequences. Seeking “truth” leads indirectly to “beauty,” suggesting that aesthetic value is a byproduct of honest inquiry rather than a primary target. Pursuing beauty for its own sake risks “vanity,” while chasing “gratification” ends in disappointment—an implicit critique of ego-driven or consumerist aims. The pivot comes with service: conceiving oneself as a “servant” of others yields the “joy of self-expression,” implying that authentic expression emerges from responsibility and empathy. Conversely, self-expression sought as an end becomes “arrogance,” a warning against turning creativity into self-display.