O! I’m far from being “Perfect”
~ Srikant Rao
As I wandered around a war museum
Came across a section labeled “Weapons”
Spears, swords, guns, canons and even a chewing gum
Were on display; but could not lay my eyes on the ultimate weapon
I wasn’t really looking for a nuclear warhead
But the true reason for any unrest or war
This weapon is concocted in our head
And is carelessly spew from our lips to leave the first scar
O but to err is human
And To forgive is divine
When we humans err against a fellow human
Why disturb or seek intervention from the divine
We make it seem impossible
But it is actually even far from being difficult
Just speak what is necessary and plausible
Unwanted emotions could be frozen at the catapult
Acknowledge the devastating effects of an ill-spoken word
We could well be on our way to create a world that is perfect
I can already feel the reactions to this thought as absurd
And hear someone blurt out, “O! but I’m far from being perfect”
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Law of “Average”s
There are many meanings of the word AVERAGE excluding the mathematical ones. I’m specifically drawing the attention towards rating someone / something.
In India as we very casually use it, it means anything that is normal and regular and that’s exactly where the issue is.
There are usually 3 tiers in rating.
Good, Average and Bad.
We in India have accepted the “Average” as normal and regular. We do not look for improvements. We’ve stopped looking for Good. We’ve been innovative enough to coin phrases like “Above Average”.
But hey, it’s still not good enough but we do accept them.
Is there a problem with such behavior in a country like ours considering the population? Well, the answer is a resounding YES.
Ironically, with the size and variety available in our country we should be so far ahead looking for the BEST let alone the “Good”. Instead we have lowered the bar and have settled for “Average” because almost everyone behaves similarly and is the new accepted level of performance.
There is a section of parents who pressurize their kids to be the best in whatever they do but that’s such a narrow-minded approach (thanks to the increasing reality TV competition across ages).
Somewhere we push the child so much that he/she then becomes averse to competition and / or succumbs to the peer-pressure and looks at extreme measures like suicide.
On the other hand the majority still only aspires to be like the few who’ve succeeded and are quite satisfied at reaching 1/4th or ½ that level of achievement which becomes the new “Average”.
Encouraging is one thing and false appreciation is another. We as a nation need to identify the difference and tread the sticky path carefully.
Take a look at the students with their school projects (in schools that are into such activities) and look at the quality. There would hardly be one child with an exceptional outcome. Rest is poor imitations of projects that were done elsewhere. Try looking at the cultural activities and the performances in schools. Majority of them would be mediocre with an exception. But that’s precisely the point. With the size and variety, we should be looking at a majority of exceptional quality and innovation (innovation being the key word) vis-à-vis the so called “Average” aspirants.
I’ve used the examples from a school life only to illustrate that this is how early this “average chalta hai” habit sets in.
However the trend is visible everywhere – be it corporate life, civic sense or social behavior.
We’ve just accepted the average.
Yet again, we need to remind ourselves that this is a very sticky path. There is a subtle difference between quest for excellence and sheer competition. Its competition when you do it with others but if one would want to outdo oneself that would be quest for excellence. We should encourage individuals to raise their own bar and not in comparison to others. Each would have their respective strengths and the key is to identify it and helping them excel in that.
It’s time we draw the line and draw it high. Mediocrity should not be tolerated.
Excellence alone should be the new law of “Average”s.
In India as we very casually use it, it means anything that is normal and regular and that’s exactly where the issue is.
There are usually 3 tiers in rating.
Good, Average and Bad.
We in India have accepted the “Average” as normal and regular. We do not look for improvements. We’ve stopped looking for Good. We’ve been innovative enough to coin phrases like “Above Average”.
But hey, it’s still not good enough but we do accept them.
Is there a problem with such behavior in a country like ours considering the population? Well, the answer is a resounding YES.
Ironically, with the size and variety available in our country we should be so far ahead looking for the BEST let alone the “Good”. Instead we have lowered the bar and have settled for “Average” because almost everyone behaves similarly and is the new accepted level of performance.
There is a section of parents who pressurize their kids to be the best in whatever they do but that’s such a narrow-minded approach (thanks to the increasing reality TV competition across ages).
Somewhere we push the child so much that he/she then becomes averse to competition and / or succumbs to the peer-pressure and looks at extreme measures like suicide.
On the other hand the majority still only aspires to be like the few who’ve succeeded and are quite satisfied at reaching 1/4th or ½ that level of achievement which becomes the new “Average”.
Encouraging is one thing and false appreciation is another. We as a nation need to identify the difference and tread the sticky path carefully.
Take a look at the students with their school projects (in schools that are into such activities) and look at the quality. There would hardly be one child with an exceptional outcome. Rest is poor imitations of projects that were done elsewhere. Try looking at the cultural activities and the performances in schools. Majority of them would be mediocre with an exception. But that’s precisely the point. With the size and variety, we should be looking at a majority of exceptional quality and innovation (innovation being the key word) vis-à-vis the so called “Average” aspirants.
I’ve used the examples from a school life only to illustrate that this is how early this “average chalta hai” habit sets in.
However the trend is visible everywhere – be it corporate life, civic sense or social behavior.
We’ve just accepted the average.
Yet again, we need to remind ourselves that this is a very sticky path. There is a subtle difference between quest for excellence and sheer competition. Its competition when you do it with others but if one would want to outdo oneself that would be quest for excellence. We should encourage individuals to raise their own bar and not in comparison to others. Each would have their respective strengths and the key is to identify it and helping them excel in that.
It’s time we draw the line and draw it high. Mediocrity should not be tolerated.
Excellence alone should be the new law of “Average”s.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Trust v/s Faith
For a minute try and think of what is the difference between trust and faith. This is not one of those puny jokes with a stupid answer. Also as most philosophical talks usually suggest the difference is not subtle either. The difference is quite substantial. I’m bringing this up to put forward a concern. But to understand the gravity of the concern, it is important for us to understand this vital difference.
You place your faith in the unknown or the future. When you hire someone based on the interview, you have faith in them that they would deliver what is expected.
You trust someone who’s been working with you for a while. Faith is future tense or of the occult whereas trust is based on historical data / presence and which is evidently present.
Now… as someone said, would you want to place your faith in the pilot who’s going to fly you or would you rather trust him for having successfully flown many other passengers?
Ok I presume the point is quite clear.
Now think about all the essential utilities in our day-to-day life and try and see if you actually trust them or are forced to only having your faith in them.
I’ll give you some examples… mind you just examples. You would want to do this exercise to all important things / persons in your life?
In the morning, when you brush, do you trust your toothpaste to do its job OR do you have faith in it that it will do what it’s supposed to.
Do you trust your doctor to treat you well OR do you only have faith in them like Demi-Gods?
Do you trust the police force to keep you and your city safe OR are you forced to only having faith in them?
Do you trust the food you are eating in your favorite restaurant OR are having faith in the chef and the restaurant’s hygiene?
Most importantly, do you trust yourself to set all things right OR do you have faith in your God that someday you may not have to go through this exercise?
You place your faith in the unknown or the future. When you hire someone based on the interview, you have faith in them that they would deliver what is expected.
You trust someone who’s been working with you for a while. Faith is future tense or of the occult whereas trust is based on historical data / presence and which is evidently present.
Now… as someone said, would you want to place your faith in the pilot who’s going to fly you or would you rather trust him for having successfully flown many other passengers?
Ok I presume the point is quite clear.
Now think about all the essential utilities in our day-to-day life and try and see if you actually trust them or are forced to only having your faith in them.
I’ll give you some examples… mind you just examples. You would want to do this exercise to all important things / persons in your life?
In the morning, when you brush, do you trust your toothpaste to do its job OR do you have faith in it that it will do what it’s supposed to.
Do you trust your doctor to treat you well OR do you only have faith in them like Demi-Gods?
Do you trust the police force to keep you and your city safe OR are you forced to only having faith in them?
Do you trust the food you are eating in your favorite restaurant OR are having faith in the chef and the restaurant’s hygiene?
Most importantly, do you trust yourself to set all things right OR do you have faith in your God that someday you may not have to go through this exercise?
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Generation WHY
Culture as defined in the dictionary is a particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period: like Greek culture.
OR
Development or improvement of the mind by education or training.
OR
The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group like the youth culture.
The most talked about youth culture is the 70s where rebellion and liberation was the keyword. Disco, free sex and drugs were the buzz words. This was a western culture. In India, this culture set in the late 80s.
The lack of media was probably the reason why there was a delay of about a decade for us to catch up.
However, the 90s was a little different, where media presence was growing and the information was free flowing – however to the rich and few. The western culture was being aped in the higher strata of society. The middle-class and the lower strata were confused to see this change and were not able to comprehend, let alone act so. They then interpreted it in their way and came about with a mix of their understanding and what they saw. It was more of a confused generation.
The 21st century however changed all that. Information Technology had a wider audience and the generation called themselves the Gen X. And this was the first time the gap was getting smaller between the western and Indian youth cultures. And this was also the first time the generation culture changed twice within a decade. The 2nd half of the new decade was labeled as Gen Y.
Delve a little deeper and you would notice that the music has changed – From Rock to Metal, Trance and a few more new genres.
The form in which Drugs are consumed has changed.
The mantraof free sex has changed to safe sex.
Fundamental change in the thought process, which is the need of the hour, exists but slower than expected.
The blind aping of western culture stays. And by what can be seen in the media, the change is going to be faster by the day and will not wait to be defined by a certain decade ala "That 70's show".
So, you won't have a show in the future that goes "That First Decade of the 21st Century Show" or something like that.
Let’s just hope that Gen X and Gen Y doesn’t transform to Generation “Zzzzzzz”.
It would be very interesting to have a Generation “WHY”.
A Generation that asks questions, specifically a “WHY”, before they do anything. A generation that questions when they see something that is not normal.
A generation that questions to promote innovation, to bring back the ethics, to do something original and something that is relevant to us. Something that is not just Western.
Why did I have to think about this?
Why did I feel the necessity of having to write and share this thought?
Why am I feeling victimized of a herd mentality?
Why? Why? Why?
OR
Development or improvement of the mind by education or training.
OR
The behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group like the youth culture.
The most talked about youth culture is the 70s where rebellion and liberation was the keyword. Disco, free sex and drugs were the buzz words. This was a western culture. In India, this culture set in the late 80s.
The lack of media was probably the reason why there was a delay of about a decade for us to catch up.
However, the 90s was a little different, where media presence was growing and the information was free flowing – however to the rich and few. The western culture was being aped in the higher strata of society. The middle-class and the lower strata were confused to see this change and were not able to comprehend, let alone act so. They then interpreted it in their way and came about with a mix of their understanding and what they saw. It was more of a confused generation.
The 21st century however changed all that. Information Technology had a wider audience and the generation called themselves the Gen X. And this was the first time the gap was getting smaller between the western and Indian youth cultures. And this was also the first time the generation culture changed twice within a decade. The 2nd half of the new decade was labeled as Gen Y.
Delve a little deeper and you would notice that the music has changed – From Rock to Metal, Trance and a few more new genres.
The form in which Drugs are consumed has changed.
The mantraof free sex has changed to safe sex.
Fundamental change in the thought process, which is the need of the hour, exists but slower than expected.
The blind aping of western culture stays. And by what can be seen in the media, the change is going to be faster by the day and will not wait to be defined by a certain decade ala "That 70's show".
So, you won't have a show in the future that goes "That First Decade of the 21st Century Show" or something like that.
Let’s just hope that Gen X and Gen Y doesn’t transform to Generation “Zzzzzzz”.
It would be very interesting to have a Generation “WHY”.
A Generation that asks questions, specifically a “WHY”, before they do anything. A generation that questions when they see something that is not normal.
A generation that questions to promote innovation, to bring back the ethics, to do something original and something that is relevant to us. Something that is not just Western.
Why did I have to think about this?
Why did I feel the necessity of having to write and share this thought?
Why am I feeling victimized of a herd mentality?
Why? Why? Why?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Of Paradoxes and Irony
City where skyscrapers dwell with the slums
Where the oranges are sold along with plums
City where life zooms past in fast pace
Where the traffic crawls through every inch of space
An extreme where the skyline is garlanded with a queen’s necklace
Where load shedding is the hidden face
Where dreams are sold in heaps
In a city that never sleeps
A city that is indifferent to one’s existence
But also a city that stands together when needed respecting every nuance
A city that pays the nation’s one third tax
On the streets where beggars are in hordes and packs
A city where movies are made and stories are told
A city that slaps reality at every threshold
Where money remote controls the emotional tyranny
Welcome to Mumbai - A city full of paradoxes and irony
Where the oranges are sold along with plums
City where life zooms past in fast pace
Where the traffic crawls through every inch of space
An extreme where the skyline is garlanded with a queen’s necklace
Where load shedding is the hidden face
Where dreams are sold in heaps
In a city that never sleeps
A city that is indifferent to one’s existence
But also a city that stands together when needed respecting every nuance
A city that pays the nation’s one third tax
On the streets where beggars are in hordes and packs
A city where movies are made and stories are told
A city that slaps reality at every threshold
Where money remote controls the emotional tyranny
Welcome to Mumbai - A city full of paradoxes and irony
A cocktail of Priorities
“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” ~St. Augustine
As per the above quote, I’ve been lucky enough to have read a few extra pages.
These extra few pages have helped me understand a very interesting facet of human beings.
How priorities can change a lifestyle and define certain cities and its attitude.
I hail from India. India in itself is vast enough to write countless books from the experience.
But let’s stick to our line of thinking.
It is common knowledge that India lives in its villages. In its 60+ years of independence a lot has changed cosmetically in the rural parts of India. However, the priorities still remain basic. While you may see apartments, internet cafes, people showing off their cell phones, driving in swanky cars, malls springing at every corner or the fact that all major brands are trying to capitalize on the large consumer pockets, the basics like education, power supply and water supply still leave a lot to yearn for. In a city like Mysore that is supposedly twin city to a major Indian IT Hub Bengaluru (formerly known as Bangalore), the tourist attraction Mysore Palace is lit in its full glory while the rest of the city is pushed into darkness in the pretext of load shedding. Do they promote tourism at the cost of their own comfort? Do they believe that tourism will fetch them enough to get their infrastructure in place? What exactly are their priorities?
Probably, community behavior is defined by such necessities. The word development is abused in such places. In reality, they’ve just grown not really developed.
Born and brought up in a city like Mumbai, I found a lot of practices funny and a lot of questions unanswered. Over a period of time and after travelling quite extensively within India, it was kind of getting clear that development in its true sense is leashed by so called cultural values. The lines and facts are so distorted, people can’t tell the difference between superstition; age-old customs and the true cultural value. Gender bias is another devil that still has its horns and tentacles rooted deep in the skin. But the best thing is we are all together in this mess and we seem to enjoy it. We complement each other and also understand the various cultural nuances – hence we are still a tolerant nation.
Despite having been betrayed by every passerby, our culture teaches us to Trust – until betrayed. Guests who just suddenly show up are still considered as Demi-Gods a.k.a “Athithi Devo Bhava”.
Although the urban population and a percentage of our rural population are inching towards nuclear and nano families, on the whole at least the sentiment of a family, relatives and friends is still intact. We would do anything and go to any extreme to help each other. Never mind the bickering and ego trip that follows.
Then opportunity flew me miles away to the other spectrum of the globe. While the USA was truly developed in almost all aspects, they miss some of the other basics.
To put things in perspective, the infrastructure is something India will take ages to get to. The social security system, the civic sense, the chivalry, the public behavior, the way a common man’s life is made simple are all things that every Indian would envy and dream of. Efforts are well rewarded and living in a HOUSE (not a pigeon hole) and driving luxury cars are not really a distant dream. However, like I mentioned, the other basics are missing. Their system does not allow you to trust anyone. Not even your parents, spouse or offspring. Almost everything is prepaid. The concept of “post-paid” does exist but you are entitled only after a thorough credit check and background check is run. They are flocking in hordes towards Yoga, meditation, Ayurveda and other Indian practices, which we seemed to have lost touch with in the mad rush towards westernization.
The standard of living there is so high that labour is expensive. Anything manual is considered Art and has a heavy price tag attached to it. Every parent is forced to work and then look for expensive baby-sitters. They work a little extra so they can afford that very baby-sitter. I’ve come across families who are not sure if they are working to pay for that baby-sitter or are they hiring a baby-sitter so that they can focus on their respective careers.
Considering the fact that geographically India is 1/3rd the size of the US, it still houses 3 times the population of the US. That explains the cheap labour and also the birth of a concept called “Outsourcing”. Is it not priorities that were warped when this concept blew itself out of proportion and has both the parties injured? A decade ago, every corporate in the developed world jumped on to show huge savings. But now, they are at a verge to topple governments to get those very jobs back. India on the other end basked in bubble bath marketing the cheap labour but now the very IT or ITES companies are being blamed for inflated real estate markets or astronomical commodity prices. Resultantly the companies have to adjust their pay-scale to meet the employee’s insatiable needs.
Other developing countries are now having an edge over India not realizing that they will eventually get into the same rut. Let’s just hope that they have their priorities right and learn from others’ mistakes.
Have I made my point? I hope. But this does remind me of another quote:
“Too often travel, instead of broadening the mind, merely lengthens the conversation.” ~Elizabeth Drew
So let’s just stop here and get our priorities right – wot say?
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