Thursday, August 25, 2005

Religion and discipline

All religions seem to lay emphasis on self control, renunciation of sensory pleasures, submitting these pleasures to the supreme and dissociating ourselves, implying everything about human existence is inadequate and wrong unless it is dedicated to the search of truth/supreme being. There seems to be a implicit punishment associated with these religious rituals and rites when they are not followed. Either no Moksha, or rotting in hell ...

One may choose to take this path or not, but its impact on people seem to be diverse.

1. Fear as the motivating factor to do something good
2. Requiring a moral police all the time
3. Suffering from guilt if one violates from these rules and regulations either voluntarily or by force - leading to neurosis and psychosis
4. Difficulty in moving out of the comfort zone, preferring to suffer rather than try something new
5. An extreme belief that one is an inferior being and therefore acting in a servile manner in all contexts or putting on a front of aggressive behavior to compensate for this inferiority

I do wonder if religious scriptures are binding us or liberating us?

Monday, August 22, 2005

Vishesha Dharma and Management

A story in Mahabharat goes like this -Krishna runs away after stealing butter from a few homes and the womenfolk are chasing Krishna to punish him. Krishna goes into a house and hides inside a pot and tells the man there, not to let the women who come chasing know that he is hiding. As promised the man tells these angry women that Krishna never came there. Krishna comes out of the pot and shows his true form. The man asks for moksha and Krishna grants it to the man and also to the pot.

The discussion that ensues ater this wish was granted, is interesting. The man asks - how come he gets moksha for telling a lie and Krishna says that there are two types of dharma - saamanya (ordinary) dharma and vishesha (exceptional) dharma. Saamanya dharma includes truth, honesty etc, etc whereas vishesha dharma is about exercising saamanya dharma in exceptional situations like saving a life. One can tell a lie to save a life and that is vishesha dharma and the man and the pot got moksha for exercising vishesha dharma.

In organizations everything is about saamanya dharma, there is a rule book, be it for HR, Technology, Finance....... saamanya dharma is elucidated and documented well and followed. Probably that is why we have managers and not leaders in organization. Are people assembly line products that these rules will apply in all contexts to all?

Semco appears to be the only organization in the world that practices the true ideology of vishesha dharma. (Anyone who is interested in knowing more about Semco - please read Maverick).

Thursday, August 18, 2005

Abstract thinking

Mind doctors talk about different types of intellect and also the different levels. Focus seems to be on challenged individuals whereas in so called "normal" population too these levels are present. Have you experienced a situation where you are talking about a concept or an idea and use an analogy and the listener gets stuck with the analogy and does not move beyond that. It scares to me to no end, if this mismatch happens in a relationship, how does one handle it.

I know, I know that comments will pour on love and not reason as the basis of a relationship .... ...... but still .....

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Dr Shantha and Magsaysay award

The award has gained more meaning by going to Dr Shantha.

In this current age of emails, cell phone and other electronic communication a two line letter on a POST CARD from anywhere, is sufficient to fix an appointment with Dr Shantha. Her office writes back to us promptly. Never do letters get lost or misplaced in this institution. She is there when you go to see her and carries out the examination personally with total care and concern. Though the situation under which I met with her was quite tense and scary, I am glad I have had the opportunity to see this great soul.

Nirai kudam thalumbathoonu solradu poiye illai. (In English the adage used in the place of this tamil expression is empty vessels make the most noice - in Tamil it is positive and talks about a vessel that is full.)

What is the English word for talumbadu?

Monday, August 15, 2005

Technophobia

I need HELP !!! How do I add links on the sidebar - for example - I read - dubukku, agelessbonding, thewitchyangel, thekfactor, thenathan world, jikku etc. etc. How do I get this appear on the side bar ?

If anyone chooses to help me out with this, please remember that I am allergic to technology, I can get rashes and I am also suscpetible to spontaneous combustion on hearing any technical word/slang and therefore you need to go reaaaaaaaaaaal sloooooooooow on explaining stuff to me using basic English

Understanding human mind

Read Thi Jaa's 'Sembaruthi' and Jayakanthan's 'Adum Naarkali.'

Once again these stories validated the depth of understanding these two writers have about human beings. Psychologists and psychiatrists can take a couple of lessons from these two !!!!!

They are not preachy and JK lives upto his own maxim that writers are not to judge people and present individual characters the way they are. The themes they have chosen and the way they are able to vividly describe places is amazing.

Witchy angel - you may want to read these two if you can lay your hands on them

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Eblogging and the comfort of anonymity

The tamil expression "Mottai Kadidasu" (anonymous letter) has a strong negative connotation and when I look at the eblogging and the number of anonymous comments, it makes me wonder if anonymous writing is negative at all ???????

I find the freedom to write anonymously very liberating. No one knows who I am, how I look, what is my background and read whatever I write as just thoughts and ideas from a head and a heart. Strangely the negative comments or accusation of a anonymous writer, makes me introspect and think about the comment rather than about the personality of the writer.

It is healthy in the psychological sense, if we can overcome the block of considering an anonymous writer as someone timid, shy, mean or manipulative and look at this person as someone who just wants his/her thoughts to be read or heard.

Monday, August 08, 2005

Knowledge and cash

Are the days of knowledge for knowledge sake is over?

BBC had a program on students not enrolling in adequate numbers for higher level courses on certain subjects. The key point of discussion centered around - 'should courses like physics, chemistry and philosophy be removed and be replaced with courses that are in demand like management, journalism etc'.

I am glad that Socrates, Einstein, Descartes, Huxley, Sartre, Freud, Jung and other thinkers are not here to hear this.

No wonder school kids have seen through this and have started using education as a means to make money and not as a vehicle for knowledge gain.

Friday, August 05, 2005

Stereotypes

Primo Levi's book on Survival in Auschwitz talks about several things, "are all concentration camp survivors, noble". "what did they do and did not do, to survive the camp", "how many stole their fellow inmates food, clothing and killed in order to survive" etc and talks about how easily it became a passport for being known as a "good" person .

Many people may find this quite controversial and not palatable (oh my God they have suffered so much and how can you call them as evil or bad - kind of reaction).

The other thought that has been nagging me is, how easily we marginalize people by stereotyping them.

1. Rich people are not kind, whereas poor people are always kind
2. People who wear fashionable clothes are show offs
3. People (Indians) who speak with American or European accents are show offs
4. People who wear ManU jersey or paint their faces in Indian tricolor don't know much about the sport
5. Simple people are nice people and are knowledgeable
6.Poor people are unhappy people

The bottom line is every individual is different and not to judge anyone.

Why can't we accept individual differences and accept people the way they are.