Ignorance is easy

“Ignorance is bliss” – this is one quote I’ve always had an ambiguous view about. Ignorance cannot be equated with bliss! Our knowledge of medicine has ensured that we live longer, healthier lives. The invention of the wheel has helped us go from one place to another rapidly, effectively making the world a smaller place to live in. The internet has made knowledge easily accessible, and is in fact filled with unnecessary information. I think you get the drift. At a rational level, knowledge is wonderful and helps us lead better lives. In an ideal world, it would also be used for the right reasons. There would be no terrorism and no hackers on the internet.  Knowledge unfortunately is often used for not-so-nice purposes (I find the term evil strong).

However, knowledge pricks the bubbles we live in. We wouldn’t have the desire to travel if we didn’t know there are places to explore. We could live in bubbles of ignorance, in true bliss. But the problem arises when we realize that we are living in a bubble. You would be happy eating at Beijing Bites, until you discover Mainland China. Our perceptions of people too change when we discover more about their lives. We understand why they do what they do, and we can’t interpret their actions in the same manner. Last week’s incident in Delhi where a 23 year-old was gang-raped horrified several women across the country as we could be next. It is the knowledge of the possibility that it could happen to any woman that is terrifying. We could live our lives as a bachelor or spinster but the knowledge that a happily (howsoever one may choose to define happiness) married life is possible bothers us. Hallucinations and fantasy are another story altogether; you wouldn’t be bothered by them until you know you are hallucinating or fantasizing. Knowledge is indeed a killjoy.

I think it boils down to our choices. Ignorance is the easy way out. Complications are minimal, and it is less exhausting. Indians are discontented with their lives so they move abroad in search of greener pastures, and that creates the larger problems of identity confusion and brain drain. Plane crashes would not occur if the airplane hadn’t been invented in the first place. Do you see the chain of events? It would be as easy as counting from 1 to 3 if we were unaware of the options. Sometimes because one lacks the courage or strength they choose an easy career. Our experiences, perceptions and more importantly choices are what determine whether ignorance is truly bliss or not. It is we who decide what to ignore and what not to ignore. The flight or fight response (slightly exaggerated analogy) applies to this too. The irony, however is that only when one gains knowledge can one truly say whether ignorance is bliss or not. Doesn't the very fact that you know it is ignorance mean you understand what knowledge is? You cannot consciously ignore something without acknowledging it. Maybe there is a need for rephrasing. Or maybe it is best to leave it as a mystery, not complicate it and live in bliss!

Kasab's ticking clock

The Supreme Court has upheld Ajmal Kasab’s death sentence. Ever since November 26^th 2008, his death sentence has been a topic of discussion and the joke is that after 26/11 Kasab is the safest person in India. As I write this, my family is in the living room, watching a panel discussion on Times Now on the very topic I’m writing on (if you’re wondering why I’m not watching it, it’s because I avoid Times Now on principle. But yes, I can hear the shouts and accusations). In a span of a few hours, a great deal has been said about the recent development. If the judiciary was even half as quick as the news media, Kasab would have been history.

The Indian judiciary has been erratic on death penalty. Since 1995, only one execution has taken place, that of Dhananjoy Chatterjee. However, between 1975 and 1991, 40 executions took place (if Wikipedia is to be believed). It could reflect two things – greater concentration on human rights, or an increasingly lethargic judiciary. He does have a chance to save his skin, by filing a review petition (and a curative petition, if that is rejected). After all, self-preservation can be a powerful instinct. The President’s pardon, if granted, will be the last saving grace. Indian law is providing him escape routes, with goodwill no doubt, but is running out of reasons to spend over 5 crores of tax-payers’ money on his security. Though keeping him alive has not been futile as he has confessed to the terrorist attack and given a couple of names, four years is a long time.

However, what all of us need to remember is that his death sentence does not directly affect us. He has given  the information he wanted to, and it will be comforting to know that if he is executed it will save quite a bit of money. Yes, we must be aware and ponder on the issue as concerned citizens, but we will not feel the immediate effect of the verdict. The ones who will be affected are the survivors of the terror attack, a handful of politicians, the Supreme Court, the people who lost their loved ones in terror attack. It is possible that some families have lost hope, but I’m sure that there are a number of those who will receive closure. Discussing and analyzing the issue is not a bad thing, if one can keep in mind that the decision is not going to affect them directly. You may watch panel discussions, read blog posts and editorials, but those directly affected will look at it through different eyes. The eyes of the survivors, in particular will look at the situation in a way only they can. It is easy to support the saying “an eye for an eye makes the world blind”, until it is your eye at threat. The survival instinct does reveal hidden layers of a person's character, doesn't it?

For further inputs you could take a look at this article on NDTV:

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/supreme-court-upholds-ajmal-kasab-s-death-sentence-says-he-waged-war-against-india-260696?pfrom=home-lateststories

Rotate the Picture or Stop Looking

Every day we search for answers to a wide range of questions. Some are trivial, such as the location of a pair of keys or glasses, or the solution to a puzzle in the newspaper. Others are harder to answer, for example, “Where is my life going?” and “Am I doing something worthwhile with my life? In my case, it is “What do I blog about?” We go through lot of trouble looking for these answers - we rummage through drawers and cupboards, chew our pencils while we think of solutions, and for the questions about life we seek spiritual guidance or talk to a friend or family member. We don’t cease seeking for the answer, which often works wonders. Even if we don’t find the answer, we might come closer to the answer.

What only a few people will tell you, is that sometimes the best way to get an answer is to stop looking for it. Have you ever turned your drawer upside down to find a bracelet, only to find it unexpectedly in your cupboard a few months later when you were looking for something else all together! Whenever I’m baffled by the complexity of a Sudoku, I’ve found that after taking a break I’ve managed to progress a good deal in the puzzle. The puzzle doesn’t change, the only difference lies in what my eyes and brain processed. The answers to some of the deep questions in life too are often simple. Say you are in a pessimistic mood and wondering if there is any real happiness in the world at all, all that you will see is sadness around you. However, when you are in a slightly better mood and sitting in a park, you will see that the children playing are happy and not afraid of expressing it. Maybe you weren’t consciously thinking about the question, but there is your answer! If only we had the luxury of not looking during exams or emergencies!

Another way of obtaining an answer is to rotate the picture, or think in a different direction. When you have misplaced a key, you look in the usual places more than once. You behave like Sherlock Holmes on a case and look in the usual places with a magnifying glass. The key is probably in the pocket of your jeans, which are hanging on a hook in the bathroom. You look everywhere but the bathroom, but the moment you think of your jeans you might remember that you kept it there when you were in a tearing hurry. I have never been a math wizard and am probably the last person to tell you how to solve math problems. But I have noticed that often the solutions to tricky problems are often simple; they only require you to think differently. Ever wondered why retail therapy doesn’t help you find true happiness? That is because you are looking in the wrong place! If you change your perception, you might find that true happiness and peace is found in simple things like listening to music, for instance.

While we may not always have the time to wait for the answer to pop in our head, we can learn to pause and take a deep breath whenever we can. The idea may be impractical, but it is is effective. The pressure of finding the answer can cloud our perception and the ability to think clearly, with results that can be disastrous. It is no surprise we often hear parents and friends advising us to write exams with a calm mind, without any anxiety. Next time you are tearing your hair over a math problem, close your book, shut your eyes and attempt it after a few minutes. Whether you stop looking or rotate the picture, the secret is to look at the question with a fresh pair of eyes.

And after three months of laziness, I did finally find my answer to the question “What do I blog about?” The result is in front of your eyes. Did I rotate the picture or stop looking?

Perhaps it was a little of both!

The Witch's Victory

Note: I wrote this for my english assignment. I combined the concepts of reverse fairytale and death. 

Once upon a time there was a kingdom called Life. It was a special place and no one ever exited the world. Seven generations of people coexisted in peace and harmony. The elderly did not face the usual ailments of old age, and sickness was unheard of. If someone was injured by accident, they would be nursed back to health.

This serenity lasted for a long time, until an immortal witch called Kera visited this tranquil kingdom. She was baffled by the fact that there was no violence. She was jealous, and this jealousy led her to curse Life. Soon, violence and conflicts became a part of people’s daily routine. More often than not, the violence was fatal. There was no punishment for the murderers. The only silver lining was the nursing provided to the aged and the sick. Kera smiled as she watched this. The smile lingered for years, until Death came along.

Death was a young boy who wanted murderers to have a taste of their own medicine. So, he killed every culprit he could lay his hands on. The violence in the kingdom did not disappear, but simmered. Kera was furious as Death had foiled her plans. She wanted revenge, so she decided to kill Death’s mother.

Death was angry and sad after his mother’s death. He was never the same person again. He became a demon, and decided to take away people’s loved ones from them. Even today, Death takes away several people from this world, innocent or guilty.

Kera smiled and laughed. After all, she was victorious. 

Valentine's Day: Is it truly special?

What is pink, sugar-coated and covered with icing? No, it is not a cupcake I am referring to. I'm referring to Valentine's Day. There is nothing wrong about celebrating love. In fact it is a good thing if couples make time for each other. Also, if a relationship has been through testing times, then a day like this can act as a healer.

But, does it imply that the celebration must be done only by gifting each other generic, fluffy greeting cards and gifts? If the day is meant to be special, then why not gift each other something personalized, which has significance to your relationship only. I'm sure simple greeting cards still do the trick. To me, the hype is unnecessary. Perhaps its because I have this aversion to looking at life through a glossy, rose coloured film that I am not a big fan of this day.

Another concept that puzzles me is celebrating your relationship on a day lakhs and crores of people are celebrating theirs' too. To me, the concept of "special day" is lost when the whole world  (literally) is rejoicing. Doesn't a day that has significance to the two people matter much more than a date which has significance to everyone?

Well, I think nothing stop the greeting card companies from working their magic every year. Particularly on the minds of teenagers.

To those who aren't celebrating this year, I don't think you are missing out on anything. To those who are, I hope you have a great time!

Silence the bird and wipe the wall?

Thanks to Mr.Kapil Sibal, India has recommenced talking about the freedom of speech again, this time with respect to social networking sites. Monitoring content on social networking sites is something that no one is going to be happy about. However, this affects only the netizens. Infact, in India if you have access to social networking sites, you should consider yourself lucky. One can say that we have 25 million Facebook users. But, our country is home to 1.2 billion people. In a country where illiteracy, corruption and domestic violence are rampant, I think we need to be realistic and prioritize our problems. I don't intend to support the government, but I think we need to calm down and weigh the pros and cons.

Facebook has a breed of people who love and take pride in airing their opinions on anything and everything. There are thousands who have the ability to give constructive criticism. But there is also a section who can do nothing but curse and sling mud. If controlling content will lead to removal of this pile of garbage, I for one will be glad. I am not exactly in favour of saying whatever you like just because its a social networking site. Misuse of the right of speech is dangerous. If you use this right to make derogatory statements, then it is abuse, and not use. Don't we hate it when politicians abuse their powers?

Now that we have looked at the positive, lets not ignore the negative. The Government has woken up to the fact that social media is a strong medium, and this a place which brings people together without barriers. It is a  brutal weapon they don't know how to shield themselves from. They are aware of the strength of social networking sites, and are frightened. Also, when you talk about filtering the content, what extent will the government go to? Tackling with this issue will be like walking on a minefield - you need to be extremely careful. The Government could also delete content where the author has disagreed with an issue without using derogatory or inflammatory statements. That would be unfair and regressive, as we all have the right to provide valid feedback and voice our opinions.

I'm neither in favour nor against this issue. However, I do think we need to breathe, think and be practical before protesting. Lets remove the blinkers and see the larger picture. It may be ugly, it may be pretty. But if you can see the entire picture and not just the splotchy parts, wouldn't that be fair and just?