In Attar's 'The Tale of the Silent Madman' (حکایت دیوانۀ خاموش), the madman provides a mystical definition of a true human (مردم). He asserts that true humanity is not defined by physical appearance, but by spiritual detachment and focus. According to the madman, a true human is characterized by:

• Freedom from the sorrows of the past and anxieties of the future.
• Abstention from vain and worldly pursuits.
• Having only a single, continuous concern or 'sorrow' across both worlds: the pursuit of the Divine.

This concept illustrates the Sufi ideal of renouncing worldly attachments to achieve undivided devotion to God.