Monday, January 26, 2015

Republic Day Much ?

I'd tell myself, over the last two years, when Jupiter aligns with Mars, and Saturn is in the Seventh House, and I have time, and when I find something compelling enough to share, Ill get back to my blog!
It took two LONG years for those stars to align!

Tear the National Flag for 1000 bucks!  This happened!
Save for the many biases in the experiment, I appreciate the message that "patriotism is not dead".

Think you can look at it from another perspective, I dare you to read on!

Let me give you a situation. and while at it, let me make it neutral.
Say the experiment was, if you tear a piece of white A4 size paper, just any ordinary paper, you get 1000 bucks and the spoils go towards giving someone 10 decent meals. Would you do it ?
Yes, you would!

Now lets mix things up a bit. Lets say, you were a "Nature Activist", who doesn't waste paper.
You'll never do it, because for you, the cost of that piece of paper is way more than 1000 rupees, its the cost of a branch of tree, that could have given off oxygen to sustain life on the planet.
I'm not saying one branch will save humanity, I'm saying every drop counts!

Because both consequences are essentially good, we chose either!
There is no fear of consequence.

See my point?

Not yet I hope, because that would render the post useless!
I'm not only trying to explain to you how can a situation be different for different people. I'm trying to tell you, our brains are wired this way!
We seek a Return (consequence) on Investment (action), from every decision we make. ROI!

You get an invite for a house party.
The first thing a guy like me would ask, "Who all are going ? Are there any girls coming or is it just another sausage fest ? "  :P

Now, to the bigger point.
When all of us think and act, and evaluate decisions differently, who is to say you're right and I'm wrong. Opinion is always "Gray" and decision is "Black or White".

A decision makes sense to someone, may not make sense to another.
Who can convince me, that the right decision, is not tearing the piece of ordinary paper, which could've fed 10 heads, or saving the paper, and saving humanity in the long run ?
Who is right and who is wrong ?

Probably, in the situation of the party, the girls are asking each other, "Are you going ? I don't want to be the only girl, in a liquor-induced testosterone-charged environment!"

So, now that we've established everyone thinks and evaluates the consequences (Return) on Actions (Investment) differently, I want to touch upon an even bigger point.

How many of you, would go and fanatically convince the female, to join the party ?
How many of you will go and behave like a "Nature Activist" and tell the one who is feeding 10 people, to stop doing it, or vice versa.
Not many, right ?

But that's exactly what we're doing. Take for example the guy in the above video who almost took to threatening, and thinks the idea of tearing the flag is outright revolting!

Lets come to a less risky example, in order for me to explain my point.

How many of you will go and tell someone to not wear slippers inside a Temple?

I'm a Hindu Brahmin. My grandparents could choose to smack the 25 year old me into removing my slippers before praying or entering a temple, but the entire Christian Community prays with their shoes on in a Church, I would then retort!
Who is to say God likes prayers to be made with or without shoes?
Have you spoken to him, and ascertained the love he has for footwear or the lack thereof ?

In the paper example, lets assume the following now.

When the alternatives become worse. That's when decision making is tougher.
Tearing the national flag (a symbol of greatness of our nation) and feeding 10 people (more tangible way to make our nation great). Ask me, Ill not do it. maybe someone will!

I have my opinion, but this is his decision.

Don't force him to adopt your thinking. Lets be tolerant with each other, and let him do what he thinks is right and he lets us do what we think is right.

Im not saying tolerate injustice, don't tolerate crime, don't tolerate murder, don't tolerate rape. These are things that are bigger and larger problems to solve, that are fundamentally wrong.. and everyone knows them to be wrong!

To close my argument, Id quote Ashwin Sanghi's book. The Krishna Key.
"The philosopher (thought/intent/aim/philosophy/logic/lessons) is more important than the stone (medium/paper/teacher/person/Flag/book)

Don't get lost in excessive aggression towards symbols and deploy fanaticism.
Understand, and embody what the symbol stands for!

As a reader, promise yourself, to exercise Tolerance. When somebody doesn't appeal to your logical faculties, tolerate, don't retaliate!
The Father of the nation would be more proud of you, than he would be ashamed, had everyone chosen to tear the national flag, at the expense of maybe feeding the poor!
Who is to know what he thought to be right or wrong ?

We're a young nation, and we're poised to succeed!
We need to differentiate the chaff from the grain!
Make a difference, or maybe not. Who am I to say whats wrong and whats right ?

3 comments:

  1. Quite an interesting read. I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say "Accept don't expect".

    ReplyDelete
  2. It is amazing post. i really like your post. i shared your post in Car towing service site. this is best site. thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Enjoyed reading your post keep sharing such amazing post will come back to read more.

    ReplyDelete

If you think, you liked this, please comment in the affirmative,
If you did not, well then, Let the Insults roll, I don't mind ;)