"To the irrational and the superstitious, the rationals generally seem radical."
23 May, 2013
Judge of character
"No man is a good judge of another man's character. For true character comes out in front of only those who don't feel the need to judge. Everything else is a lie."
23 March, 2013
Solitude and Loneliness
"A man stupid enough to spoil an hour of solitude with a thought of a moment of loneliness does not deserve the solitude in the first place."
Solitude
"Solitude brings to a longing man, hope; to a troubled man, wisdom; and to a contented man, boredom."
Saving self-respect
"For man in the troubled company of other men and things that disturb, in ways big or small, his self-respect, there are but two solutions. One, to avoid, altogether, the company of such men and things; or Two, pretend, with a total detachment of an untainted soul, to be just another man in the thick of such men and things, and pretend to convince himself that self-respect is over-rated. Any middle way is sure to cause harm, as it does to most men."
Saving truth
"Most often, the best way to save a truth is to avoid telling it, because most people do not deserve to know it. Lesser the number of people knowing a truth, safer are its priceless secrets and lessons. That is the only way to protect the sanctity and profundity of any truth."
Everyday Living
"The simplest essence and purpose of everyday living is to go to sleep without regret and to wake up with hope"
Back to basics!
I should admit that for quite some time now, I've been a bit too ambitious about taking this space further, by stopping to write here and moving all my great writing(!) to a secret, undisclosed place, unleashing my full imagination there and building up some good writing... and ultimately becoming an author! Well.. so far the dream is so good. But I should say a little bit of practicality also helps.
I'm adivising myself to take it one step at a time, and not miss the wood for the trees. So I'll continue to write here too, and when the time is right, hopefully it all comes together to make a fine piece! If you really liked my writing, and waited to hear something like this from me (Your God bless you!), pray for me for your sake, so that you end up with a good book of mine in hand, in the near, foreseeable future!
Welcome back to reading my scribbles yet again!
"One step at a time"
Rajaji
I'm adivising myself to take it one step at a time, and not miss the wood for the trees. So I'll continue to write here too, and when the time is right, hopefully it all comes together to make a fine piece! If you really liked my writing, and waited to hear something like this from me (Your God bless you!), pray for me for your sake, so that you end up with a good book of mine in hand, in the near, foreseeable future!
Welcome back to reading my scribbles yet again!
"One step at a time"
Rajaji
04 August, 2012
The struggle of the educated minds - A certified life
More than a year after I introduced the struggle of the educated minds,
things have hardly changed. (To understand what follows, you need to
read that first). And what I said then holds true, personally, even more
so than I had imagined while penning them, and the following, down.
We are lucky vertebrates. And some of us do have the proverbial spine to stand for and against things and dreams in life. And to such an 'upright' man, education is the backbone. Or so we are told. But truth be told, education has not been in a condition as worse as it is in now. I'm a direct descendent of that wretched system, most of the policy makers and rulers of which do not have that spine to do what is right. I'll stop commenting on it politically here, for it will spoil the intent of the post, which is the personal experiences of having been in the system that guarantees success (what is that?) only based on certificates.
What is 'right knowledge' and how much of it is essential (The Zeroth Flaw) has never been more important than it is now, considering that the world is in deep chaos, economies depressed everywhere, people left jobless because the policy makers do not know where, and how, to create jobs where they are needed, etc. This point of view, largely generalized, yet true, is just a pointer to the mess we are in. But to make the less fortunate (read 'the less educated' as the literates like to identify others) understand, or believe, that they are in for good in the future, the rulers of the system create an easy step; that of creating certificates for the less fortunate to make them learn and understand how deep a mess we are in, and how they can help if they are certified to be on par with the rulers. What better way than to make them feel that they are more educated if they are certified!
That the primary purpose of a certificate/certification is one of only affiliation is hardly realized these days. Certifications have come to define the very admission into an apparently erudite circle, making the pursuit of it a necessary condition for work than a means of value addition. And when peer pressure is next only to the fear of death when it comes to defining survival and success in my generation, it is not difficult to see why everyone wants to be certified. And so the tables turn on our less fortunate to distinguish themselves, apparently, by means of getting certified from some institution or association which was the birth of a stupid lot of insecure, terrified educationalists who rightly realized that they would be overthrown if they did not show authority through an institution or association. How successful have they been!
The conflict of certification with The Zeroth Flaw arises exactly here. What is right knowledge and how much of it is essential? How do the 'erudite' and authorities of the institutions and associations decide what has to be known in a specific field of study to ascertain competence and authority? Is knowledge not, to some extent, intuitive? Why do we develop certain 'areas of interest' right from an early age? Has it not got something to do with the way the brains are designed and wired? If let to develop on those lines, will we not achieve competence, unadulterated? Will knowledge, then, not mature into wisdom? After all, knowledge is what we believe is right; and wisdom is what we realize is true! And eventually, what is of more importance, a belief or a realization?! The questions keep coming!
Unfortunately, we are all too narrowed and mechanized to pose these questions, for the answers to these do not come about unless the established paths are challenged. Instead what we seek are easier, commonly followed, short-sighted goals. That of gaining entry into an already established lot, seeking recognition for work which is un-original, etc.
I cannot hep quoting Sir Russell here: "The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible"
More to come on the struggles.
Rajaji
We are lucky vertebrates. And some of us do have the proverbial spine to stand for and against things and dreams in life. And to such an 'upright' man, education is the backbone. Or so we are told. But truth be told, education has not been in a condition as worse as it is in now. I'm a direct descendent of that wretched system, most of the policy makers and rulers of which do not have that spine to do what is right. I'll stop commenting on it politically here, for it will spoil the intent of the post, which is the personal experiences of having been in the system that guarantees success (what is that?) only based on certificates.
What is 'right knowledge' and how much of it is essential (The Zeroth Flaw) has never been more important than it is now, considering that the world is in deep chaos, economies depressed everywhere, people left jobless because the policy makers do not know where, and how, to create jobs where they are needed, etc. This point of view, largely generalized, yet true, is just a pointer to the mess we are in. But to make the less fortunate (read 'the less educated' as the literates like to identify others) understand, or believe, that they are in for good in the future, the rulers of the system create an easy step; that of creating certificates for the less fortunate to make them learn and understand how deep a mess we are in, and how they can help if they are certified to be on par with the rulers. What better way than to make them feel that they are more educated if they are certified!
That the primary purpose of a certificate/certification is one of only affiliation is hardly realized these days. Certifications have come to define the very admission into an apparently erudite circle, making the pursuit of it a necessary condition for work than a means of value addition. And when peer pressure is next only to the fear of death when it comes to defining survival and success in my generation, it is not difficult to see why everyone wants to be certified. And so the tables turn on our less fortunate to distinguish themselves, apparently, by means of getting certified from some institution or association which was the birth of a stupid lot of insecure, terrified educationalists who rightly realized that they would be overthrown if they did not show authority through an institution or association. How successful have they been!
The conflict of certification with The Zeroth Flaw arises exactly here. What is right knowledge and how much of it is essential? How do the 'erudite' and authorities of the institutions and associations decide what has to be known in a specific field of study to ascertain competence and authority? Is knowledge not, to some extent, intuitive? Why do we develop certain 'areas of interest' right from an early age? Has it not got something to do with the way the brains are designed and wired? If let to develop on those lines, will we not achieve competence, unadulterated? Will knowledge, then, not mature into wisdom? After all, knowledge is what we believe is right; and wisdom is what we realize is true! And eventually, what is of more importance, a belief or a realization?! The questions keep coming!
Unfortunately, we are all too narrowed and mechanized to pose these questions, for the answers to these do not come about unless the established paths are challenged. Instead what we seek are easier, commonly followed, short-sighted goals. That of gaining entry into an already established lot, seeking recognition for work which is un-original, etc.
I cannot hep quoting Sir Russell here: "The fact that an opinion has been widely held is no evidence whatever that it is not utterly absurd; indeed, in view of the silliness of the majority of mankind, a widespread belief is more likely to be foolish than sensible"
More to come on the struggles.
Rajaji
12 April, 2012
On the vain love for superlatives and leaders
I probably belong to the generation where there has been, and is likely to be, the maximum number of the greatest/largest/biggest and many more superlative phenomena. It could also be the generation which is seeing most of these superlative phenomena bite the dust, anything ranging from the greatest innovation, idea, product, movement etc.. In most cases, the starting point for any of these phenomena to become the greatest/biggest/largest is what I'd call the 'superlative attribution' to an individual or a small group running the show from ground up. And that's where I see the irony. No individual starts a revolution or an invention wanting to be the greatest/largest/biggest contributor of any means to the society. The revolution or invention is most likely to have started as a sign of a need, a passion or a rebellion. As a matter of objective disposition and thought, a superlative attribution is, in reality, a nightmare to such an individual.
I think an individual with a dream or a vision to contribute something of value to mankind is never bothered about what qualities people attribute to him/her. His/her wish, focus and vision is only the work. Despite this simple wish of the individual to be focused on the work alone, the society just cannot keep itself from pouring out all the adulation and reverence for the superlative qualities he/she apparently possesses. And this generally tends to dampen the individual's focus and sometimes he/she may, in fact, fail too. And my generation is awash with examples of this kind.
I think it should take utmost courage and conviction for an individual to be indifferent to, and uninfluenced in any way, by such nightmarish consequences of superlative attribution. The society quickly develops whims and fancies for such an individual. It is basically a follower society, i.e a society with eager followers always looking for a leader to show them the means of life in grand ways. In other words, a follower society is a society whose spirits of individual thoughts and initiatives are dampened, and looks outward for a spirited leader, who just did not happen to let his own spirit dampen! In most cases, the leader himself/herself would have been no more than an ordinary person who just held on a little longer than the rest of the crowd. Or worse, who was just inadvertently helped by the dampened crowd to hold on after the crowd had let itself down.
In a huge clout of such undeserving followers, and sometimes, eventually, unfit leaders, it again takes the utmost courage and conviction for the individual to be dispassionate and indifferent to that wretched society. This brings to me a revelation that it is most worthwhile to be part of a brotherhood of equal and just individuals, than to be a part of revering followers and spirited leaders. For, in being a follower, an individual loses his/her own concept of life and vision of things; and in being a leader, an individual thrusts his/her concept of life and vision of things, deliberately or inadvertently. At some point, there is bound to be dissent, dissatisfaction or fatigue among both the groups.
The major conflict between the superlative individuals and the simple individuals lies in the fact that the mere presence/attribution of superlatives indicates a copy/duplicate of the individual is just somewhere on the same line, thereby only indicating the deluge of the undeserving and the unfit. And there awaits a catastrophe for the individual and liberal spirit!
To all the vain superlatives... Give up your vanity! Go, get a life. And live it in your own terms! Or, at best, with your brotherhood.
I think an individual with a dream or a vision to contribute something of value to mankind is never bothered about what qualities people attribute to him/her. His/her wish, focus and vision is only the work. Despite this simple wish of the individual to be focused on the work alone, the society just cannot keep itself from pouring out all the adulation and reverence for the superlative qualities he/she apparently possesses. And this generally tends to dampen the individual's focus and sometimes he/she may, in fact, fail too. And my generation is awash with examples of this kind.
I think it should take utmost courage and conviction for an individual to be indifferent to, and uninfluenced in any way, by such nightmarish consequences of superlative attribution. The society quickly develops whims and fancies for such an individual. It is basically a follower society, i.e a society with eager followers always looking for a leader to show them the means of life in grand ways. In other words, a follower society is a society whose spirits of individual thoughts and initiatives are dampened, and looks outward for a spirited leader, who just did not happen to let his own spirit dampen! In most cases, the leader himself/herself would have been no more than an ordinary person who just held on a little longer than the rest of the crowd. Or worse, who was just inadvertently helped by the dampened crowd to hold on after the crowd had let itself down.
In a huge clout of such undeserving followers, and sometimes, eventually, unfit leaders, it again takes the utmost courage and conviction for the individual to be dispassionate and indifferent to that wretched society. This brings to me a revelation that it is most worthwhile to be part of a brotherhood of equal and just individuals, than to be a part of revering followers and spirited leaders. For, in being a follower, an individual loses his/her own concept of life and vision of things; and in being a leader, an individual thrusts his/her concept of life and vision of things, deliberately or inadvertently. At some point, there is bound to be dissent, dissatisfaction or fatigue among both the groups.
The major conflict between the superlative individuals and the simple individuals lies in the fact that the mere presence/attribution of superlatives indicates a copy/duplicate of the individual is just somewhere on the same line, thereby only indicating the deluge of the undeserving and the unfit. And there awaits a catastrophe for the individual and liberal spirit!
To all the vain superlatives... Give up your vanity! Go, get a life. And live it in your own terms! Or, at best, with your brotherhood.
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