Category: Thoughts uncut

On being a know-it-all

I recently signed up for a Social Psychology course on Coursera. Of all the concepts it discusses, I am particularly drawn towards a certain concept named ‘The Hindsight Bias‘. It is also interestingly called ‘I knew-it-all-along effect’. A piece of reading for the course quoted an example from a Sherlock Holmes story, “It is easy to be wise after the event”. That, is hindsight bias.

How often we’ve felt, after hearing of something, – a piece of information or the result of a research – that we had known it all along? It would be obvious, but we wouldn’t have been able to guess before being informed. It happens so often that we hardly realize that it is a condition that has been technically named and studied in the field of Social Psychology.

That’s the beauty of the subject, it has a sane explanation to even the most common occurrences that we dismiss carelessly.

This particular condition is something that I have experienced many times, but I didn’t know that it was just a common happening and that it is totally normal for us to assume that we are all know-it-alls.

Fire and Ice

Now a days, I often catch myself wishing that the world had ended in December 2012.

That reminds me of a poem of Robert Frost that I like, Fire and Ice. It was love at first sight. It was helpful that the first sight was during the time everyone in school was so feverishly worried about the world’s end.

The poem brought a smile on my lips, what a thought! Fire and ice, two destructive forces compared to two other similarly destructive forces, desire and hate. It seemed like a perfect combination. It was so obvious.

We don’t need another Tsunami or an earthquake to destroy us. Those are just external causes. We have stronger and more dangerous forces within us that have the power to vanquish us. And, we don’t realize it. We are only worried about Natural factors.

Sometimes it sounds so unlikely that desire or hate towards something could end up perilous, but reflection would reveal the truthfulness of those words.

We don’t need to worry about what Nature would do to us, rather, what should be a matter of our concern is what we could do to the only home we have. We could and would destroy ourselves, our loved ones and our generations by our self-centeredness. That is when the world really dies.

This poem changed my view on the world’s existence.

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

~Robert Frost

Of Fantasies and Simplicity

When I tell people that I like a certain fantasy novel, they look at me like I’m an intolerable kid. ‘Fantasy books as those, are school kids material; older people shouldn’t read those books. They are childish and off reality’. This is the common attitude people have.

I have a different view of fantasy tales. Apart from being dreamy, fantasies are artfully narrated. It is that particular style of narrative that appeals to everyone. They don’t complicate things. Even the most complex and tough thoughts are conveyed easily so that even kids can understand. That is not childish; that is the toughest thing to do for a writer. To explain worldly philosophy in simple words is something that everyone should learn to do. Simplicity is what everyone desires, even if they claim otherwise.

So what’s wrong with reading fantasies that spell simplicity? Some of the best-selling fantasy novels have life time lessons that thick-bound books can never teach. I say it’s never too late to read fantasies.

Life and Death

Yesterday dawned bright.

It was Nelson Mandela’s 95th birth anniversary. The entire world celebrated his birthday while he was in hospital, making a speedy recovery. It was good news. He is an icon of hope and an inspiration to me and a lot of other youngsters.

Who wouldn’t appreciate and admire a man who refused six offers of freedom from prison life, for the good of his fellow country men? Thirty seven years in a 2m *2.5m cell and hard work in a lime quarry, no wonder the whole world looks up to him!

I once came across a famous quote from his autobiography, ‘Long Walk to Freedom’,

“In South Africa, it is hard for a man to ignore the needs of the people, even at the expense of his own family”.

(Read the whole chapter here)

This was something that moved me a lot. Those words weren’t merely a combination of letters; it was his life, and to take it all and still rebel! Just the mention of his name brings a fond smile on many faces. That’s how much change he has inflicted in us all. I witnessed how much people appreciated him when he made his public appearance in the closing ceremony of the FIFA World Cup held in South Africa back in 2010.

Nelson Mandela

Musing on this, I spend the rest of yesterday, until I heard a bad news. Vaali, the great Tamil poet and lyricist died at the age of 81. The news came as an absolute shock. He was the only poet to have penned lyrics for four generations of actors. Over 15000 great songs he wrote and movies in which he worked are yet to be released.

His death struck me unlike any other deaths. I never realized how much I appreciated him until I heard that he had stopped breathing. I had never thought of a poet like him growing old; I always felt like he would be around forever, penning introduction songs for actors yet to arrive.

In everyone’s personal favourite songs, (whatever the genre, situation and period) will be a majority of Vaali’s words. We may not realize it, but it is so. That was his specialty.

Vaali_1000

It indeed ended a sad day.

Pissed off, totally

Workaholics!

Oh, bugger! These people are everywhere! Having newly joined as a trainee in a company, all I see around me is people who refuse to look away from their laptops. I’m surprised to see this though, because this is a place where people are supposed to enjoy working; they play cricket; catch up on latest gossips; get some coffee together. But I still call them workaholics because, honestly, I doubt that they think about anything other than their work, even while playing.

Their laughter doesn’t reach their eyes, the mirth doesn’t last long; they pretend to be sophisticated when all they want to do is have some fun honestly. I have a feeling that these people are not who they seem to be. Like they have two complete faces; one inside and another outside the company of their colleagues. Such a two-faced life!

Alas!

Not everyone is like that though; I’ve met some people who honestly say that they enjoy the job, or not. What annoys me is the pretence and false self-contentment of the  majority. Some are so pathetic. They know that they don’t like their job, yet they stick around, because they know that the money is good for their families. They are the pitiable who convince themselves that their life becomes worthy, when living for others’ pleasures.

Then, there is the other kind who feel that they love their job only when they have little or nothing to do at all. When these people are burdened with a heavy workload, they get so cranky and desperate. Oh, my! The look on their faces when they try hard to concentrate and try to retain the weight of their paycheck!

Are these, people who would listen to some stupid ranting of a youngster and try to change themselves? I don’t think so, but that doesn’t stop me from putting down my thoughts.

I’ve seen people who look up to the software community. I’ve seen the desperate longing in their eyes. Why?

It’s simple. Those who are not part of this elite believe this life to be paradise; that’s what they are forced to believe. All they see from the IT crowd is luxury. They cannot be blamed.

Not until they join this industry, that they realize that the life of a software guy is just disguised luxury.

This “software” industry just pisses me off. Already.