Delhi

I casually switched on the TV, which I don’t do during day time, and the scene was very disturbing. Young people have gathered in thousands and the police was throwing gas cannons and water over them. My first thought was that once again people of Egypt are protesting against their government. It took a while to realize that it is not happening in Egypt but at Delhi.

It was a pleasant surprise, this generation youth is always perceived both by academicians and others as the generation who can think only about their carriers and their extended self, and they are numb towards social consciousness. It is great to see that myth being broken squarely and once and for all.

I have taken part in few protest marches both in Delhi and Patna, the usual reaction from the onlookers was one of pity and anger, they used pity for us because we were wasting our time and they used get angry because we were wasting their time. Today what we see is the total involvement of everyone present there, both onlookers and protesters are having the same dream of standing by the victim (name is not known but given a name Amanath by the media).

Amanath is the Rosa Park of USA who kick started the civil right movement with her courage and resilience, what we lack is Martin Luther King Jr. to take forward the struggle.

I have no doubt that when these many young people come together for a cause, they just cannot fail in a democratic nation (of course it is possible only in a country like China). We will find a satisfactory solution to the six monsters who committed the crime. But the important thing is that the fire Amanath has set in the hearts of young generation must continue to burn and redefine our way of life. I hope it will…..

Question the Question

John Kotter, A professor at Harvard Business School, Studied the   1974      batch Students. He observed their life and achievements for 20 Years. All of them were driven by motivation to succeed. And invariably they have reached financially successful state of life. Then He noticed that 5% of the students were Super Successful. Their achievements were extraordinary, not only in their financial status, but also with their relationship-family, friends, relatives...

He wanted to find out what made them so extraordinary? All students were bright, had good background, and driven by the high need for achievement, then what made only few of them to be super Successful? When he studied them more closely, he found two characteristics which distinguished them from the rest:

1. Self- belief: they strongly believed in themselves and what they want is within their reach. They had dreams and they firmly believed that they would achieve them.

2. They constantly asked questions, no matter who is the other person - boss, son, subordinate, wife...       they continued to remain curious. Their education had not stopped with Harvard degree; they continued to learn things with a childlike enthusiasm. Not satisfied with the accepted answer, they asked questions tirelessly.

The another word for living dangerously is asking questions with the desire to find answer, then question the answer to reach the higher level of understanding. The art of asking question is a journey, it never ends. Conclusions and answers are destination, if you are happy with the answer, your journey is over and destination is reached. The story is over. If you are not happy with the answer yet settled with that answer, then also you have reached the end, certainly it is a sad end. What to do, we need tragic stories too to entertain our mind.

Spring summer fall winter and spring

I wanted to watch this film from the time I heard about it, but could not get it with English subtitle. Watching a film without understanding what is spoken is a dangerous endeavour, glorious misunderstanding happens by default.

When I was studying at 5 std, I watched the film “Sholey” without knowing Hindi, and mistook gabber singh for a Naxalite, the guy without hands as the villain, the exploiter of the people (what to do, police has such a reputation), Dharmandera as the comedian and Amitab as the deaf and mute, then narrated the story to my friends. They believed since they did not the film. How true is the statement - among the blind, one eyed becomes the king.

That time on wards I decided not to watch a film if I do not know the language. Finally I could get the copy of the film with subtitles.

The Movie is a Visual treat. It touches your heart effortlessly. A soul searching film with the aesthetic of high order. Symbols abound, and the interpretation is left to the Viewer. The film is like a poem, leaves you to come up with your own meaning. The director narrates the story without any imposing anything. No beginning, No end everything is Cyclical.

Life is being explored with different Seasons. Every season has its own pleasure and pain. Joy produces pain for others, Lust produces pain for the self, Attachment produces pain for all, and Wisdom produces Compassion and the end.

Life is the hero; Time and change are the villains and Friends. We constantly live in the Twilight Zone, Can move towards light or dark. Neither darkness is familiar nor the light, Yet we have to make the choice. But take the responsibility and Pay the price, explanation, Justification are waste of time and energy.

Having a master is not enough; he can guide but can't live our life. The tragedy of life is that Wisdom flowers only after the experience. Going through the hell and heaven is the only way to go beyond them. A true master allows us to be in hell with compassion and in heaven with understanding. He never gives up the hope in us, even if we have given it up in the film, In the first Spring, the child ties a fish frog, Snake with a Stone. In the second Spring, the child feeds fish, a frog, and a snake with a Stone. Cruelty Increases with each new generation. What is not shown is that Mastery too increases with each new generation.

Don't miss this movie. If you don't know Korean, make sure that you get the film with Subtitles. 

Bigger the tragedy lesser the Suffering

Pain is real, Suffering is illusion. Pain is physical, suffering is psychological. Pain is caused by external realities, suffering in produced internally by the mind. Pain is healed by medicine; suffering is cured by understanding and acceptance.

People say, the world is going to end. It is an old Joke repeated periodically to entertain the idle Mind. Hollywood has made enough money by making movies on this topic. Sometimes super intelligent being come from Mars to destroy the earth, Other times it  is the prediction the Mayan Calendar or by some mad Scientist. As long as USSR Was powerful Nuclear War was another threat projected for the end of the world. It looks like the world was us to live in a state of fear.

Religious leaders too cited Scriptures time and again to frighten the common people regarding this issue and it was good for their business and invariably made lots of money.

But why are we afraid of the world coming to an end? In fact we should feel happy about it. When death comes to an individual person, he or she has nothing more to lose, so he or she neither has pain nor Suffering, but it creates lots of suffering among that person's near and dear ones. Though it sounds ridicules, we have got used to it. We show our love for the dead by crying thus creating lots of noise pollution. This suffering is unwarranted but since culture demands it, and not much harm is done by crying and beating our chest.

But think about a day, where everyone is dead. Nobody is going to feel pain or suffering. It will be the day of peace and harmony, a day when the classless society is finally established.

When a tragedy occurs to an Individual, he invariably feels it is not fair, and asks the question: "Why me?", though he does not spells it out, his whole being echos the question: "Why not others?". And it brings in mental turmoil and sufferings into his life. But if everyone is affected by a tragedy, it means nothing; there will be pain but not suffering.

If everyone fails, then no one minds it. It becomes a joke. So end of the world means equal distribution of tragedy. It is an occasion of pain without any Suffering. Pain without Suffering is a time to rejoice, a Sign of enlightenment and an absolute liberation.

Eggs and Personality Type (From The Telegraph)

A person’s favourite way of eating eggs can predict their personality type, their job and even their sex drive, researchers have discovered.

Using sophisticated maths and a process known as data mining, scientists have uncovered a statistical relationship between a person’s character, lifestyle and social class and whether they like their eggs boiled, fried, scrambled or as an omelette.

In the new study, the research team found that poached egg eaters are outgoing, listen to upbeat music and are happier, boiled egg consumers are disorganised, fried egg fans have a high sex drive, scrambled egg aficionados are guarded and omelette eaters are self-disciplined.

Readers of The Daily Telegraph were shown to be most likely to prefer poached eggs.

The results were released to mark British Egg week, which starts on Monday. Researchers questioned 1,010 adults across Britain who answered queries about key aspects of their personality, as well as details about their lifestyles, family, and the way they prefer to eat their eggs.

The study was commissioned by the British Egg Industry Council and carried out by Mindlab International.

It was discovered that the average poached egg-eater is likely to have two children and no more than one sibling and is more likely to be a woman than a man. Boiled egg-eaters had a tendency to be careless and impulsive.

Fried egg-eaters are most likely to be younger and male and most frequently found among the skilled working classes.

Scrambled egg-eaters are more likely than other types to be in managerial or senior-level jobs and also to own their own home, and omelette eaters are likely to have a tidy home.

The Red

When I was in college if any one wears red colored shirt or t-shirt, all others use to make fun of him, calling him the brother in law of Govinda. The color was identified with villagers. I too have ridiculed this color when Kingfisher air host (Girls) has this as their uniform.

Behavioral economists, who study the effect behavior on economics, have studied the color red. The have found if the waitress in the restaurant, wears red color shirt or skirt, she is likely to get higher tips from male customers than other color. It works in the similar fashion if she has something in red color on the head (clip..). But it has no effect on female customers. And this does not get attention neither from male or female customers, if a waiter (male) wears red, may be bulls’ attention he will get unconditionally.

When a girl blush, her cheeks become red, seeing this men’s heart melt. This unconscious process may be the culprit for getting high tips when a waitress wears something in red. To find out one more reason, refer any book on evolutionary psychology.

Women like men wearing dress in red provided those men have higher social status. This does not sound much of a research. May because the color red is connected with blood and valor.

But one thing is sure just the color red will not save you and make you rich and attractive, just look at the condition of Kingfisher Air-line.

Suffering

Sufferings and pain of other people create different reactions in different people.

If it produces pleasure and joy, then you are a sadist. The world has to be careful with you. Eventually you can become a monster.

If it brings back to you, memories of your personal pain and suffering, then you are born to be miserable. The world may misunderstand that you are kind hearted, but the fact is that you are a selfish snob, who loves to live in personal miseries. When you visit a patient in the hospital, your focus would be your past sufferings and not the present pain of the patient.

If it brings in you pity, then you are sympathizer. You console yourself declaring the world is cruel, and the other is blessed with bad luck. You carry on living as if everything is OK with you. It is a common man syndrome.

If it brings within you compassion, then you are the enabler. You make sure to do whatever you can, to correct the situation. You show it in action as well as in words. You share the suffering, and do the best you can. The world will be happy that you have visited the planet called earth at the right time and right place.

The truth we need to keep in mind is that we enact all these four characteristics, depending on the situation and person. When our enemy suffers, we display the characteristic of a sadist. When our family member is in pain, we become enabler. When a stranger is suffering, either we display the character of sympathizer or miserable.

It is only when we are enabler to the stranger; we truly become a human being. We are born as animal and our choices transform us as human being or a monster.

Black Swan

It was advertised as a psychological thriller, I had purchased the DVD long back, was waiting for the right time to watch the film. It was worth the wait. Brilliant story that deals with the psychology of perfection and achievement motivation. At the present day, when the achievement motivation is on rise and the world more complex and globalized, a film of this kind act as a warning signal. it deals with the peril of innocence when it meets the desperate desire for perfection and competition.

Innocence and corruption are two poles of a spectrum. What happens when one has to display both to win the race?

Nina’s mother is a failed dancer, like most of the parents she wants her daughter to succeed where she failed. At the same time, she wants her daughter to always remember the sacrifice she had made for her. So Nina seeks perfection in all she does especially in dance. Her role model is Beth, the reigning super star, who has perfected the dance of swan queen. The time changes and Nina is selected to play the main character. Beth who is the symbol of perfection and glory for Nina, is devastated and attempts to commit suicide, but survives the attempt and lives a miserable life.

The dilemma in front of Nina is: if I do not succeed I will be like my mother who sees herself as a failure and lives a life of misery. If I succeed like Beth, one day I too will lose the top position and live miserably like Beth. If you succeed you are doomed, if you fail you are doomed. Classical case of catch-22.

What a way to look at life, pessimism at its best. The mind is hard wired to notice negative things, since it helps us to avoid danger and ensures our survival. But when it is out of control, life can become a torture. If you enjoy, you feel guilty. If you are miserable, you feel bad. Nina has to play the role of swan Queen in the play. And the swan queen too faces this dilemma, and swan queen solves the problem by embracing death. Does Nina too follow the same fate? Director ends the film in a most ambiguous manner, letting viewer to conclude the story.

Veterans

At present I am staying in the community where veterans are living. Fr.George Hess, the founder of De Nobili Schools, Dhanbad, and Fr. Ed McGrath, one of the founding fathers of XLRI. Age catches up with everyone, whether you have done something monumental or just floated through life, lived like a spectator as his life passed through.

What surprises me is that students, who were taught by them 30 or 40 years back, remember them rather clearly and now and then come and visit them. It is not the subjects taught by them is being remembered, it is invariably the interactions they had with them.

They had accompanied them unconditionally, they had taken corrective actions whenever something wrong taken place, but never out of anger. They loved the work they did, and performed to their best. I am not saying they were without any faults, they had their share of frailties but when it came to students, they always placed them first.

Both are in their nineties, the common thread that one can see in them even now is the sense of humor. You can say anything to Ed McGrath, primarily because he has hearing problem and secondarily he can take anything as a joke. Very rarely I see him in a negative frame of mind. Though he is in constant pain, due to the old age his waist bones are weak and a source of continuous pain, he manages his life well.

They were happy when they were exceedingly busy and doing magnificent work, and they are happy when they are weak, old and doing nothing. The point I always believed that happiness is not a result, it is the cause. Happiness is a state of existence where one is grateful for all one has and hasn’t, and for all one is and isn’t.   

Depression

Long back, I met a young person in Pune. Working as an executive, athlete and doing well by any yard stick one chooses to measure. But he was depressed.

He was emphatic and articulate, almost convinced me that there is nothing one can do about his depression. His arguments went somewhat like this: I was going by a bike, and saw another person of my age going by an expensive car. He must be a successful person, he might have done some thing right that is the reason he is having that life style. Where as I must have done everything wrong that is the reason I am going by bike. Therefore I am good for nothing.

I know that the mind is a strange mechanism; it can make a fool of Socrates. You can use logic to defeat it; but it can invent hyper logic to prove its point of view. Yet we can be sure that it always behaves with a purpose; invariably it operates with a definite purpose. And the purpose is protecting our survival and nothing more and nothing less. What is the best form of defense? It is avoidance. Avoid everything and everyone, there will be no danger, thus survival is guaranteed. Not a bad logic for the mind to use to protect us from painful realities and the dangerous world. If you avoid for a long period of time, there will be no danger but depression will set in gradually.

That young man asked me the question; what is wrong with him? I said that there is nothing is wrong with him, and just gave him the gyan on mind, a long explanation, when I realized my talk might bore him and increase his depression more, I stopped. Then I asked him what is it that which is giving him real pain, expensive car and rich young man are just metaphors and similes, they indicate some thing more concrete which you are afraid of facing. And what are the recent disappointments he has faced.

I had to leave for Mumbai that night, and we departed leaving the questions hanging around the atmosphere.

Angel Heart

Few movies disturb you, and linger around the mind for a long time. Without a question, Angel Heart is one of them. Keep away from the film if you are addicted to happy ending and can’t stomach hard hitting realities – blood, murder, incest, betrayal. It is a supernatural thriller with a gripping story line. Symbolism is used to the hilt. Every scene is open to multiple levels of interpretation.

It is not a new film, I happened to view it recently by chance. Performance by all actors is top notch, in a way everyone has lived his or her character. It is a dark film and deals with the dark side of us.

Our good intensions are often colored by primal forces. Good person is the one who is not aware of his dark side just like the evil person who is not aware of his good side. At the right moments, at the right place one is capable of doing anything – act of great sacrifice, cannibalism, incest etc...

Soul is used as a symbol of one’s own interior positive self. We know not the importance of its presence till we lose it. Once we lose it, we try our best to redeem it. Since short cut is what we seek to achieve our most cherished goal – power, fame and glory -, we invariably seek redemption too in short-cut. In that process, we complicate our life to the extent we know not who we are and what to do, in utter confusion we swallow and swallowed by our miseries, sorrow and self-pity.

If you are weak hearted, afraid of dark do not watch this film.

OC & D

Somehow courses those are practical and application oriented never attracted me. When the topics like HRA Audit or competency mapping were proposed for my PhD thesis, I literally ran away from the place. Theoretical, imaginative and far away from the utility concepts mesmerizes me. That is the reason I had to struggle reading ‘7 habits of effective people’ and ‘how to win and influence people’. Though they are path-braking books, since they deal with absolutely practical ideas, I used to get bored. I read them just for the sake of reading them; otherwise people might consider me as an illiterate.

Recently the coordinator asked me whether I would like to teach “OC&D” (Organizational Change and Development). Light years back I had studied the course as a student, and the professor who taught me was brilliant and I have lots of respect for him. But I could not remember anything apart from writing an assignment for the course. So I opened the text book on the subject to find out what does it deal with, and in the first lesson it elaborates the theory of change according to Levin. In summary it says that the change process is “Freezing, Moving and unfreezing”, it sounded to me like “Getting up from the bed, eating and going back to the bed”. To explain this process they have given big diagram with all kinds of squares and circles.

What really shocked me was that I was under the impression that this course comes under HR area, now only I was told that it comes under OB area. I always thought that OB guys are direct descendants of Sigmund Freud, and conveniently I omitted B.F.Skinner as part of OB field.

So if I have to teach OC&D, first and foremost I had to change my mental block that practical things are important in life. Teaching how to walk or how to swim also come under serious academic disciplines. And one should not look down upon these realities of life. And I should remember that if complicated things can be made simple then it is also possible to make simple things complicated.

Blood Test

I was surprised when a friend of mine eating ‘bitter guard’ with ease. I asked him is it his favorite dish. “No, not at all, I do not enjoy consuming it, since it is good for health, I am eating it”, he uttered with much conviction. “Are you suffering from any kind of illness”, I asked. “No, I am in good health”, he answered. I was confused, he is in good health, and yet he is eating ‘bitter guard’ which he does not like, thinking it is good for his health. Precaution is an intelligent move provided there is some warning. If we start living life on imagined precaution then life will become a hell, I think that is the root cause of paranoia. I don’t know why I was disturbed, because if my friend is a paranoid, it is a good indication that either I am also a paranoid or in the process of becoming a paranoid.

Few of my friends used to advise me that I should not take alcohol. And I used to be surprised. I usually ask them, “Give me some reasons for me to stop drinking. Do I lose control? Or do I misbehave after few drinks?” their reply was no for all my self justifying questions. Then I give them some pearls wisdom. Our behavior is governed by the law of purpose. There must be a purpose for drinking and there must be a purpose for not drinking. Without any purpose our actions and achievements lose every ounce of meaning.

I do agree with Osho when he says that life has no purpose and beauty has no purpose. What I am emphasizing is when it comes to the metaphysical realm then looking for meaning and purpose is a waste of time, but when it comes to simple mundane and trivial realities of life one should focus on purpose otherwise we will be confused, get mugged down and swallowed by trivial things.

Ten days back, my friend wanted to have a blood check up, and I out of curiosity accompanied him, then as luck would have it I too subjugated myself for blood examination to justify accompanying him. The result was that everything for my friend was perfectly normal and for me it was just opposite. My sugar level was beyond the range of 350.

Finally I have found my purpose for not drinking alcohol.

Disappointment

The effective formula to be in a constant state of disappointment is very simple. Create an internal image of something or somebody and make every effort to fit that something or somebody into that internal image. I can guarantee you that you will be disappointed perpetually.

More ideal and more perfect is the internal image, better is the chance of getting disappointed. If you do not want to be disappointed then just reverse the process, form the internal reality according the reality presented before you.

The film ‘My Fair Lady’ highlights this phenomenon beautifully. The good thing about changing the other person according to one’s ideal internal image is that both will be disappointed in the end. The change agent will feel betrayed and the changed agent will feel manipulated. What a situation to be in?

Yet, it is what that is happening in majority of relationships. Entering into the relationship with the hope of changing the other, and when the eventual outcome happens, each one cries foul.

Does it mean that one should not have any internal images at all? No, one should have internal image, otherwise he will be a person without any radar, confused and floating like a dry stick in the wild river called life. Internal images are the maps which help us to choose things and people, but they are not the territory.

Having a map is important, even if it is a wrong map no problem. At times, wrong maps can lead us to a major discovery. It happened to Christopher Columbus, he discovered America by mistake with the faulty map.

So the point one should never forget is that when the territory does not fit the map, then make necessary changes in the map, and don’t waste time in changing the territory.

To change the territory as per your internal map, you must be a God. Never play the ‘God Game’, it is pretty dangerous.

Orientation

At the beginning of the academic year, it is customary for faculties introducing themselves and say something about life in general and welcome the new students to the institute. The following address is what I had planned to say during that occasion, since I had to leave XIMB before the orientation, I am posting it here. Since I am new to XLRI, I will not be using it in the similar program at XLRI.

I am George Joseph, belonging to OB/HR area and constantly attempting to teach something. Welcome to XIMB.

For some of you, joining XIMB might have been a dream, and you have succeeded in getting admission. For you it is more like a love-marriage. 

And for others, joining at XIMB might have been the default option, after attempting many trials with other premier business schools. And for you it is more like an arranged-marriage.

Both love and arranged marriages can be a stupendous success or monumental failure. For it to succeed, five factors are very important:

1.Being Grateful for what has happened to you. Accept the fact that you have been placed in a unique position. Destiny has given you an opportunity and it is up to you to make full use of it or throw away this opportunity to the dustbin. 

2.Cultivate genuine respect for the other, respecting the strength of companions and understanding their weakness. 

 3.Remain focused, work hard and grow in the spirit of perseverance. 

4.Develop a ‘constant feedback system’. Evaluate your actions and behaviors on daily basis. 

5.Be firm and resilient at the face failures and disappointments. Your goal is winning the war and you can always afford to lose few battles. In fact they teach you valuable lessons which success hides them from you.

I thought of including one more factor and that is incorporating a sense of humor no matter what is the situation, but it is not an independent variable, it is more of a dependent variable. If you have all the above five variables, then the sixth one automatically happens as a byproduct.

In case you do not want to have all these variables in your life, then keep away from marriage and become a priest.

Since we are talking about your marriage with XIMB, these variables are essential for being a successful student, and if you do not want to possess these factors, then the only option left for you is becoming a faculty.

Now you know why I had decided to become a priest and a faculty. Wish you all to become bright and successful students, all the best.

Bitter Is Parting But Sweet Are Memories

Every good thing must come to the end. Time has come to move on. I will be joining XLRI from the coming academic year onwards.

Life at XIMB was smooth and enriching, a place everyone would like to be, and it brings out your best and helps you to overcome the weakness.

Students are great, intelligent and disciplined. Faculties are friendly, understanding and thought provoking. And the staff is beyond adjectives.

Jamshedpur is just 7 hours away from Bhubaneswar  by train (if there is no chain-pulling and naxalites are on a vacation), 30 minutes by super jet (yet to be launched) and Zero seconds by thought (somewhere I have heard that the thought is faster than light).  Since thoughts create our world, moving out and moving in are mere illusions. My association will continue with XIMB.

May the Great Spirit (I mean God, not alcohol) guide us all….

Regards

George Joseph

Knowing

Be short and brief in everything

People will be grateful - and 

May find it sweet if it not inspiring.

Do not prolong, neither the talk nor the life

It becomes bitter and boring -and

People will pray for your absence.

Who knows? I am only guessing

If Bhagat Singh had lived longer, 

People might have called him a dictator - and

If Mahatma had survived longer, 

People might have considered him as nuisance.

Knowing when to begin is important

But knowing when to end is the secret to the greatness

Charisma

It was a country side with a beautiful beach. People gather there for picnic and take sea bath. At times the sea is rough and windy, and some people get drowned and die. A group of young guys watched these kinds of occasional accidents in dismay, and they decided to do something. They started an association, and the motto was simple and straight forward: “Save the people from drowning in the sea”. They were filled with the missionary zeal, and day and night performed their selfless service.

People of the city were impressed with the result produced by them. And they donated lots of money, and many joined the association. When the number increased, they needed to formulate many rules and regulations, grievance committee was formed, recruit cell was constructed, and parties and seminars were organized to engage the members. As the time passed, the association's main activities were many except saving the people from drowning. Some youngsters were shocked at the functioning of the association, they accused the authorities of betraying the original spirit, and they decided to form a new association with the simple motto:”saving people from drowning”.

The new association wanted to make a point and they made it. The general public was impressed with the courage and dedication of the new association and donated large amount of money to the new association. And many were attracted to the new association and joined it with great enthusiasm. As the time passed, and as the number increased they too decided that they need new guidelines and rules to govern the new association. New structure was established, recruitment policies were formulated and to engage the members, workshops, seminars and parties were organized. And they too became too busy with too many things except saving people from drowning. And this irritated some young minds; they felt betrayed and decided to start a brand new association which will faithfully serve the people from drowning. And the story continues….

Charisma is compromised with organizational structure and regulations. But without rules and structure charisma can disappear altogether. The one strikes a fine balance between the two, manages to maintain the creativity (charisma) and continuity for a long time. It is the art of eating the cake and have it too.

predicament

During the last academic year, representatives of an organization came to give a talk for students. It is more of students and company interaction. It is routine exercise where students come to know about companies and the managers getting the feel of students. It is optional for organizations but compulsory for students. 

On that day, all students were assembled and a manager of a company X, with much enthusiasm started his address with a tautological question: Can anyone explain the reason for your coming for this talk? One first year student answered spontaneously, “We are here, otherwise we will be fined Rs.500” All the students burst out laughing. The members of the placement committee started seeing stars in the day, and the manager laughed nervously.

Simple question and an honest answer, matter should have been over then and there. But the student became hero for few and a villain for many. The members of the committee were upset and agitated, because it is an integral part of placement process, and if a student irritates the recruiting company, it can result in unwanted reactions.

I could understand the anger of the committee members at the same time I could sympathize with the innocence of the student. As a student I have been in the position of that student many a times; innocently saying something outrageous, mainly to deal with the boredom that class room creates, and eventually finding myself in a thick of storm.

Once during the class on medical ethics, the professor asked the question; can the child who is mentally retarded be killed? Some said yes, and some others no. I was sitting in the last row, and the professor asked me what my opinion is. I said, “No, the child should not be killed just because he is mentally retarded” The professor further enquired, “Why do you say that, what are your reasons?” Spontaneously I answered, “See, all of us are mentally retarded, only degree varies, therefore that child can’t be killed” Surprisingly all my class mates laughed out loud, but the professor was angry.

My intention was neither making fun of the argument nor irritating the professor. Unknowingly I ended up doing both. In the eyes of the professor I became the villain, my friends congratulated me for being radical hero, and girls in the class thought I am a comedian. I did not want any of the roles; all I wanted was sleeping in the class. Sometimes, if the time is not alright, anything can happen. Now the irony is that I am teaching ethics too.

I still sympathize with that student and also understand the predicament of the placement committee. 

The Iron Lady

Simplicity is the beauty of this film. Starts with the hallucination of Margaret Thatcher in her old age. She instructs and corrects her husband who is no more in this world. The director mingles her present with her past brilliantly. She redeems her present with the memories of the past, just like John Nash used his logical thinking to overcome his hallucinations.

The film is narrated in a non-linear style. It is in the form of flash-back mode. The critical incidents that shaped the life and the leadership style of Thatcher are breath taking.  Intelligently chosen events tells us the story convincingly.

It is always the unique talents which separate a person from others elevate her/him to the leadership position. It is these talents which attract other people to support her/him. At the same time it is these very talents which bring her/him down eventually. Every talent and strategy comes with an expiry date. Unless a leader is aware of this predicament, she/he will live longer only to become villains.

Thatcher was a woman of great substance and conviction. Her fresh and bold approach to the ailing Brittan brings hope and a sense of purpose to the people of that nation. Her no-nonsense style of taking decisions makes her the only man in the parliament. The journey to the top was smooth and fast in spite she being the only woman among the elected representatives. As she produces results, critics take back seat, and she moves from being bold to bolder and boldest. Then the inevitable takes place, her strength becomes her weakness. And like most of the high achievers, she too fails to notice the dissent among her loyal supporters.

It is an irony; when something does not work, we repeat the same approach harder and longer, blissfully closing our eyes and heart to different alternatives. Thus Thatcher’s glorious era come to an abrupt end.

The film is a must for every aspiring leader in any realm of life.

Shadow in Us

We all are endowed with sufficient amount of weakness, shadows, problems, negative experiences and sins. Some are obsessed with overcoming them and  others are blissfully unaware of them, and some inadvertently boasting about them. All three groups are in no win situation. spiralling down is inevitable.

External forces do not create the negatives within us, they might have triggered the problem in us but they are not the authors of our problems and sinfulness. Being in darkness is an existential condition; we are born with the potentiality to become psychopaths.

Most of the self help books are busy highlighting the problem behaviors and then advise us on how to control and overcome them. They forget that it is battle that is lost before even the first shot is fired. Valli in Ramayana is the classical representation of fighting with shadows in us. If you fight against him half of your strength will go to him, and added to that he himself is a powerful person, so the battle against him will result in failure for anyone.

Our mind has a tendency to look at reality in a binary system. Either we must overcome it or surrender to it; Win or lose; defeat or get defeated. But there is the third way, an alternative we often fail to recognize. Transform the negatives; it is not same as overcoming. The process of transformation is slow and tedious. It is not a conclusion but remains a process which will lead us to the conclusion. It is always three steps forward and two steps backward journey. It is not a linear but essentially not linear.

People who do not transform their  shadows and problems will invariably transmit them to others and the next generation. And keep the society sick perpetually.