While new age interpretations of Maulana Rumi have often made him out to be some airy fairy kinda hippy dude … he is hardly ever that when addressing his students/readers/listeners … Maulana Rumi expresses heights of respect, deference, and love for the Prophets (peace and blessings on all of them) and the Awliya (friends of God). But when it comes to regular people – i.e. everyone else – well, he has little or no niceties. This is consistent, because the point of the teachings of tasawwuf or irfan, or even the practice of “exoteric” Islam, is *not* to build up or strengthen the ego …

“If anyone is looking for any purchaser
Other than God,
He is nothing but a donkey.
He’s searching for something to eat
Like a donkey at the green of that sewage* hole. ” -Maulana Rumi (Divan-i Kebir)

*translated as “stock hole” – I think this is referring to the hole around an outhouse – where green may grow.