Sunday, February 13, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Ambition v/s passion
I've been longing to write about it as soon as it became clear to me. i can write a lot about it & detail the whole thing up. However, recently my posts have become too long & people asked me to write shorter notes.
So, what exactly is ambition? Its an impure emotion. In its daily use, its what we want to do but therein lies the problem. Because what we want to do & do eventually, is many a times, influenced by our family, girlfriend/boyfriend or peer groups. Sometime back, I had the feeling that I'll do something worthwhile to show off some of my classmates back at school, who used to think they were they only good ones around. This is the flaw of the notion of ambition, in daily use. If you are successful, its the Bollywood flick, else you are Devdas. If you are unsuccessful, your ambition devours you. PERIOD.
But what is passion? Its your hobby, your avocation(hobby). There was some famous poem by Robert Frost, where he talks about how beautiful life would be if avocation(hobby) & vocation(profession) become the same. You can take thousand, no infinite failures in your stride & try again with the same effort you put the 1st day.
Exactly what is said in 3 Idiots, success k piche mat bhago, kaamyabi k piche bhago! farq nahi padhta ki success piche aaye na aye!
And Farhan Qureshi's words in the same movie that he'll at least be happy even if he earns less. His neighbours may well go to hell. as they really don't have a role to play...
So, what exactly is ambition? Its an impure emotion. In its daily use, its what we want to do but therein lies the problem. Because what we want to do & do eventually, is many a times, influenced by our family, girlfriend/boyfriend or peer groups. Sometime back, I had the feeling that I'll do something worthwhile to show off some of my classmates back at school, who used to think they were they only good ones around. This is the flaw of the notion of ambition, in daily use. If you are successful, its the Bollywood flick, else you are Devdas. If you are unsuccessful, your ambition devours you. PERIOD.
But what is passion? Its your hobby, your avocation(hobby). There was some famous poem by Robert Frost, where he talks about how beautiful life would be if avocation(hobby) & vocation(profession) become the same. You can take thousand, no infinite failures in your stride & try again with the same effort you put the 1st day.
Exactly what is said in 3 Idiots, success k piche mat bhago, kaamyabi k piche bhago! farq nahi padhta ki success piche aaye na aye!
And Farhan Qureshi's words in the same movie that he'll at least be happy even if he earns less. His neighbours may well go to hell. as they really don't have a role to play...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Islam's super concept of boycott
Islam has always been projected in bad light by western media. Jihad means "striving" & western media distorted its meaning & used it for US sponsored violence by bin Laden and others. When in Egypt, they dared the guns & Molotov cocktails(fuel bombs), they showed what jihad is!! Now I dare King Abdullah to "cut the head off" any "snake"!
Sometime back, I remember roaming with a Muslim friend of mine. We were hungry but he asked me not to enter Haldiram, as its "haram". Its owner had got the poor tea-stall owner murdered, as he gave him competition. This is the way forward.
This is the season of change. Wikileaks started it. US is on the reform path- not due to politicians but citizens. So did Egypt. Come on guys. Let it go viral. NO VIOLENCE. ONLY QUESTIONS. ASK ALL YOU WANT YOUR HEART OUT.
A country is its citizens',
not its rulers,
else there's no difference between democracy monarchy or dictatorship
Sometime back, I remember roaming with a Muslim friend of mine. We were hungry but he asked me not to enter Haldiram, as its "haram". Its owner had got the poor tea-stall owner murdered, as he gave him competition. This is the way forward.
This is the season of change. Wikileaks started it. US is on the reform path- not due to politicians but citizens. So did Egypt. Come on guys. Let it go viral. NO VIOLENCE. ONLY QUESTIONS. ASK ALL YOU WANT YOUR HEART OUT.
A country is its citizens',
not its rulers,
else there's no difference between democracy monarchy or dictatorship
Lesser evil?!
This post is about CHOOSING among two wrongs- in other words choosing thelesser evil !
Its about Gandhi. He always lectured people on non-violence. Its common knowledge. But when he agreed to the British proposal that he would have Indians fight for the British(Allied forces) in return for them leaving India after the war, he violated his own so-called principles. He could very well have asked the Indian masses, whose respect he commanded, to fight against the British with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj ! And who knows, we might not even have witnessed partition!
Another thing, though a bit unrelated, must be stated here. Sometime back, I read somewhere, probably some article in the Times of India, that some Naga tribe had held off the Azad Hind Fauj (aka Indian National Army) along with the British during some onslaught during those world war days. Don't you think the journalists must be sensible so as not to write such things post-independence. It seems like a piece of yellow journalism. You might ask how? Here's the answer. During this year's Hornbill festival, some US diplomat or ambassador was the chief guest. They might be playing their cards with these journalists! Go figure it out...
Its about Gandhi. He always lectured people on non-violence. Its common knowledge. But when he agreed to the British proposal that he would have Indians fight for the British(Allied forces) in return for them leaving India after the war, he violated his own so-called principles. He could very well have asked the Indian masses, whose respect he commanded, to fight against the British with Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's Azad Hind Fauj ! And who knows, we might not even have witnessed partition!
Another thing, though a bit unrelated, must be stated here. Sometime back, I read somewhere, probably some article in the Times of India, that some Naga tribe had held off the Azad Hind Fauj (aka Indian National Army) along with the British during some onslaught during those world war days. Don't you think the journalists must be sensible so as not to write such things post-independence. It seems like a piece of yellow journalism. You might ask how? Here's the answer. During this year's Hornbill festival, some US diplomat or ambassador was the chief guest. They might be playing their cards with these journalists! Go figure it out...
Boycott
I want to discuss here how the concept of boycott can be both used & misused.
The concept of satyagraha or boycott is a great concept. But it can easily be misused. I wanted to refrain from writing about it for the very same reason as a solution in my note "Social Dictatorship/Moral police" (read here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=180570371983386 )
Personally I've always disliked Gandhi but his idea of non-violence was great. I hated that notion too, until sometime back. Then I realized that violence only begets violence. So if you're against a better equipped or stronger enemy, non-violence is obviously the best route, from a totally businesslike point of view, disregarding all high & lofty philosophies.
The obvious question will be: If Gandhi's technique was so good, how can it be misused?
The answer is the Chauri-Chaura incident! During the non-violent movement led by Gandhi, at one point of time a mob got berserk & went on an out-and-out violent rampage & gave the British Raj what it deserved! But that's the point, a crowd/ a mob CAN'T think. A person CAN! A herd CANNOT think, an individual CAN! For those who have read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar or even the famous speech scene by Mark Antony at Caesar's funeral (in the play). [Here's a link to that speech: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=182639215109835 . If you want to read the whole play you can visit:http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1120 . Its copyright has run out & has been put in public domain.] Politicians have been doing the same for years! If if want to catch a master criminal, think like him. Both Professor Moriarty(Napoleon of crime) & Sherlock Holmes [thought unconventionally and] in a similar manner. Sherlock Holmes also said in one of his stories that had he not been a detective, he might have been a burglar ! Similarly to catch the politician off guard, we have to think like him/her.
I'll be pasting in brackets a part of my note Social Dictatorship & then put forward its solution by satyagraha & the pros and cons of such an approach:
[ Another example is a scene from No one killed Jessica, the reporter (Rani Mukherjee) cares about society, justice & such high and lofty ideals & ill treats her domestic help, who might even be a minor(child labour)! In real life Barkha Dutt is similar(2g scam)! I feel the middle class acted in the Jessica case it felt threatened from the rich & powerful. But what about the Rizwanur Rehman case?! Fans of SRK should feel good that he cancelled the ads he was to do for those criminals'(Todis' Lux undergarments) products; but he did it under pressure from fans' response. ;)What about Ruchika Gehrotra? Nothing happened to Inspector General of Police Shambhu Pratap Singh Rathore because the middle class feels threatened as they aspire to loot 7 abuse from posh civil services jobs. That's why IPS Mehta's killers got away. And this mentality starts from as simple a thing as “ragging”. Today you bully, tomorrow you arson, the next day you kill! Its the truth. Its the mentality.]
The solution is total boycott. Shopkeepers should stop selling them essential commodities, vegetable sellers should also stop selling them grocery. Make them go without food. Now there are 2 questions that might come up here.
2. Vegetable sellers are poor. How will they survive?
Answer: There are marwadi sabhas, Jain sabhas, Ulemas, etc. that help people in times of difficulty. During festivals people shell out tens to a few hundreds as "chanda"(subscription to puja functions). A locality has around some 10,000 people. Each person putting in just Re.1 monthly will do the trick. How many families go above Rs.10,000 per month on groceries?!
1. How can it be misused? (This is of greater interest)
Answer: What do the khap panchayats(in Haryana) or such mob justice/ mafia justice systems do?! MURDER AS PER PUBLIC OPINION.
Similar instances: SATI; WITCH HUNTING IN JHARKHAND;..........
So, in effect, I think that any such mass implementations don't work.
Reason?
Few people control the thinking(castrate the thinking) of other people in the crowd! That's why we're in such a mess today.
My only earnest request: THINK. THINK. THINK
The concept of satyagraha or boycott is a great concept. But it can easily be misused. I wanted to refrain from writing about it for the very same reason as a solution in my note "Social Dictatorship/Moral police" (read here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=180570371983386 )
Personally I've always disliked Gandhi but his idea of non-violence was great. I hated that notion too, until sometime back. Then I realized that violence only begets violence. So if you're against a better equipped or stronger enemy, non-violence is obviously the best route, from a totally businesslike point of view, disregarding all high & lofty philosophies.
The obvious question will be: If Gandhi's technique was so good, how can it be misused?
The answer is the Chauri-Chaura incident! During the non-violent movement led by Gandhi, at one point of time a mob got berserk & went on an out-and-out violent rampage & gave the British Raj what it deserved! But that's the point, a crowd/ a mob CAN'T think. A person CAN! A herd CANNOT think, an individual CAN! For those who have read Shakespeare's Julius Caesar or even the famous speech scene by Mark Antony at Caesar's funeral (in the play). [Here's a link to that speech: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=182639215109835 . If you want to read the whole play you can visit:http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1120 . Its copyright has run out & has been put in public domain.] Politicians have been doing the same for years! If if want to catch a master criminal, think like him. Both Professor Moriarty(Napoleon of crime) & Sherlock Holmes [thought unconventionally and] in a similar manner. Sherlock Holmes also said in one of his stories that had he not been a detective, he might have been a burglar ! Similarly to catch the politician off guard, we have to think like him/her.
I'll be pasting in brackets a part of my note Social Dictatorship & then put forward its solution by satyagraha & the pros and cons of such an approach:
[ Another example is a scene from No one killed Jessica, the reporter (Rani Mukherjee) cares about society, justice & such high and lofty ideals & ill treats her domestic help, who might even be a minor(child labour)! In real life Barkha Dutt is similar(2g scam)! I feel the middle class acted in the Jessica case it felt threatened from the rich & powerful. But what about the Rizwanur Rehman case?! Fans of SRK should feel good that he cancelled the ads he was to do for those criminals'(Todis' Lux undergarments) products; but he did it under pressure from fans' response. ;)What about Ruchika Gehrotra? Nothing happened to Inspector General of Police Shambhu Pratap Singh Rathore because the middle class feels threatened as they aspire to loot 7 abuse from posh civil services jobs. That's why IPS Mehta's killers got away. And this mentality starts from as simple a thing as “ragging”. Today you bully, tomorrow you arson, the next day you kill! Its the truth. Its the mentality.]
The solution is total boycott. Shopkeepers should stop selling them essential commodities, vegetable sellers should also stop selling them grocery. Make them go without food. Now there are 2 questions that might come up here.
2. Vegetable sellers are poor. How will they survive?
Answer: There are marwadi sabhas, Jain sabhas, Ulemas, etc. that help people in times of difficulty. During festivals people shell out tens to a few hundreds as "chanda"(subscription to puja functions). A locality has around some 10,000 people. Each person putting in just Re.1 monthly will do the trick. How many families go above Rs.10,000 per month on groceries?!
1. How can it be misused? (This is of greater interest)
Answer: What do the khap panchayats(in Haryana) or such mob justice/ mafia justice systems do?! MURDER AS PER PUBLIC OPINION.
Similar instances: SATI; WITCH HUNTING IN JHARKHAND;..........
So, in effect, I think that any such mass implementations don't work.
Reason?
Few people control the thinking(castrate the thinking) of other people in the crowd! That's why we're in such a mess today.
My only earnest request: THINK. THINK. THINK
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