Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.
The only aim of a person to live on is that he is happy or is the hope that he is going to be happy. What makes a person happy is a highly subjective thing. That is why measuring the Gross National Happiness is the hardest thing to do.
So let us come to the point what makes a person happy. Money, Achievement, status, Power, Authority, Altruism...what among these make a person happy. Human beings inherently are selfish and envious. So let us call this specimen a HOMOECONOMICUS who will act only in his self interest, what ever might be the situation.
So, a person has different motivations and he feels that money makes him the happiest. But the problem comes when the person next to him has more money. HOMOECONOMICUS prays to God that he get more money than the next person and in extreme case of jealousy will also want to destroy the wealth of his neighbour. So, with what level of money that a person will be satisfied.
There is no feasible end to this endless greed of HOMOECONOMICUS. He only craves for more more and more..like midas who wanted to change everything he has into Gold.
In the present rat race of accumulation of power and money HOMOECONOMICUS could not come to a conclusion about where he has to stop. Where the tipping point has reached, when it is enough.
So, to summarize will a HOMOECONOMICUS will ever be happy in his entire life or will he die an unsatisfied person. Whether the words Content and satisfaction has any meaning in this world.
Is pursuit of happyness an eloquent hyperbole....
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Nothingness
When a person's existence revolves around a single man/woman and suddenly they disappear, then there is nothing to cling on to except for hope, a bit of faith and a lot of desperation.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Benefactors of Recession
The "R" word has been the dreaded one in every ones mind since the past two years, especially in the case of the hallowed portals of business schools which has been hit hard.
The students who have been expecting big big bucks were left to squabble over whether they will get jobs or not. The ones who has jobs were considered to be the lucky ones albeit least paid and in lesser fancied companies. The companies which gave offers in numbers which are quite obscene (double digit offers) made their offers even more obscene during the phase of recession (no offers).
So, in this scenario many have joined their offered jobs with enthusiasm and a bit of skepticism in their mind. But, the little bit of skepticism turned out to out weigh the enthusiasm as their pay has been cut from the then lower levels to even lower levels i.e. to the extent of 25% and some students who are eagerly waiting to join their dream job, were told to dream a bit more and join a bit later.
Now, I came across a news in Forbes magazine where Buffett wrote, "We've put a lot of money to work during the chaos of the last two years. When it's raining gold, reach for a bucket, not a thimble."
Many Industrialists did just that. Indeed, last year's wealth wasteland has become a billionaire bonanza. Most of the richest people on the planet have seen their fortunes soar in the past year.
This year the World's Billionaires have an average net worth of $3.5 billion, up $500 million in 12 months. The world has 1,011 10-figure titans, up from 793 a year ago but still shy of the record 1,125 in 2008. Of those billionaires on last year's list, only 12% saw their fortunes decline.
The companies are taking Recession as the God given weapon to wreak havoc in the lives of many innocent lives. There has been indiscriminate firing of employees and also indiscriminate cut in wages. There have been obscene number of mergers and take overs during this R-Period. But none of the companies gave their employees any hike and they are just using recession as an excuse to increase their bottom line at the cost of employees and other stake holders.
The conclusion that one can arrive after seeing the scenario in these two years is that only billionaires and their muse companies benefited from this Recession, which in part is the manifestation of their GREED. So due to the Greed of some many common people have suffered. Power and Money is absolute, those who have it can manipulate the lives of many through creative destruction.
The students who have been expecting big big bucks were left to squabble over whether they will get jobs or not. The ones who has jobs were considered to be the lucky ones albeit least paid and in lesser fancied companies. The companies which gave offers in numbers which are quite obscene (double digit offers) made their offers even more obscene during the phase of recession (no offers).
So, in this scenario many have joined their offered jobs with enthusiasm and a bit of skepticism in their mind. But, the little bit of skepticism turned out to out weigh the enthusiasm as their pay has been cut from the then lower levels to even lower levels i.e. to the extent of 25% and some students who are eagerly waiting to join their dream job, were told to dream a bit more and join a bit later.
Now, I came across a news in Forbes magazine where Buffett wrote, "We've put a lot of money to work during the chaos of the last two years. When it's raining gold, reach for a bucket, not a thimble."
Many Industrialists did just that. Indeed, last year's wealth wasteland has become a billionaire bonanza. Most of the richest people on the planet have seen their fortunes soar in the past year.
This year the World's Billionaires have an average net worth of $3.5 billion, up $500 million in 12 months. The world has 1,011 10-figure titans, up from 793 a year ago but still shy of the record 1,125 in 2008. Of those billionaires on last year's list, only 12% saw their fortunes decline.
The companies are taking Recession as the God given weapon to wreak havoc in the lives of many innocent lives. There has been indiscriminate firing of employees and also indiscriminate cut in wages. There have been obscene number of mergers and take overs during this R-Period. But none of the companies gave their employees any hike and they are just using recession as an excuse to increase their bottom line at the cost of employees and other stake holders.
The conclusion that one can arrive after seeing the scenario in these two years is that only billionaires and their muse companies benefited from this Recession, which in part is the manifestation of their GREED. So due to the Greed of some many common people have suffered. Power and Money is absolute, those who have it can manipulate the lives of many through creative destruction.
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Case of an abandoned Bag
It was Holi day/ a holiday i.e. March 1st. I was travelling back from home to Bangalore. As usual the booking was done in tatkal and the railway station and the train were over crowded.
By chance or by destiny I arrived at the Kachiguda station a full 30 minutes early. walked around the station looking for some familiar faces, as always the case could not find even one. So, cursing my fate to travel alone, went to find my seat in the train, Bangalore Express.
Went to my seat after crossing various hurdles in between. I was kind of surprised to see that the entire seats were occupied prior to my arrival and there was a blue bag kept on my seat.
I kept my luggage on my berth and wanted to go down and do bird watching, but there was no one visible on the entire platform. I got back to my seat and again saw the blue bag, by that time all the seats were occupied and I asked the people over there, does it belong to any one of them.
No one claimed it, my analytical brain started ticking and I smelt some foul play. The old couple said that a young person in a blue t-shirt kept it there and left. It was only like 10 minutes to the start and I decided 2 be a "HERO" as a pretty girl was sitting next 2 the bag.
I with all my courage, opened the bag a little and saw a large tiffin box, this was the last straw,all the bomb blasts of Hyderabad, Mumbai and the recent one at Pune played in my mind. I took my bag and left the compartment and complained to the RPF(Railway Protection Force). The Officer was more brave than me and he asked me to get the bag out, which I firmly refused.
The officer did not dare to even touch the damn bag and he kept the bag at where he was. Rest of the people in my compartment came out along with me. Suddenly I was having a sense of elation and also bit of worry in my mind, what is going to happen.
I would be a hypocrite if I say that I was not scared. I was shit scared but did not let that emotion over power me. I was telling to myself that I am doing my duty as a citizen of India.
The pretty girl in the compartment, came to me and asked "what should we do now?" Do all the pretty girls are so dumb. How in the hell would I know what should we do. Did she expect me to open the bag and diffuse the bomb. I always like to impress girls but not by keeping my life on the line.
I asked her to board in next compartment, and added a rider that there is no guarentee that there would not be another bag like this in the other compartment. She was like dead scared and started to tow me every where.
Till that time the bag was not evacuated from the compartment. So much for the efficiency of Police force in India. I thought that they would start evacuating and the train would get late and all, but it was not happening.
There were only 5 minutes left for the train to leave and no sight of the owner of the bag. People in my compartment left for other places. Then one brave police took the bag on to the platform.
I could hear a voice in my head that run buddy run,,, no need to be a hero, u can get a nice girl if u'll live not if you are dead. Some RPF men gathered near the bag, but they did not dare to open it. I thought what the hell, would they be calling a bomb disposal squad or what.
Then suddenly there was an announcement that the train was ready to leave the platform, I boarded the train and felt that if it would go off, it should go off now.
Then the train chugging along and the bag was left on the platform.
Out of no where the owner of the bag came asked where his bag was, we told him that it was on the platform. He went to the door and luckily the police personnel gave it to him while the train is on the run.
I breathed a sigh of relief that it was not what I thought it was. The person who left his bag, told us that he said to the old couple to look after the bag and he also added that he told them that there were no bombs in the bag :P
I was like completely pissed off with the attitude of the person in question. He was an educated person and he was shouting at us for taking his bag out. We told him that it was a necessary precaution, to avert a greater danger but then also he was like drooling on. I stepped up and told him that why didn't he even bother to check whether his luggage is alright or not for 30 minutes. He became silent and started blaming the old couple.
Our country needs to be more vigilant in these turbulent times and the attitude of people should improve. Until this happens we would see more of 26/11, Pune blasts etc.
By chance or by destiny I arrived at the Kachiguda station a full 30 minutes early. walked around the station looking for some familiar faces, as always the case could not find even one. So, cursing my fate to travel alone, went to find my seat in the train, Bangalore Express.
Went to my seat after crossing various hurdles in between. I was kind of surprised to see that the entire seats were occupied prior to my arrival and there was a blue bag kept on my seat.
I kept my luggage on my berth and wanted to go down and do bird watching, but there was no one visible on the entire platform. I got back to my seat and again saw the blue bag, by that time all the seats were occupied and I asked the people over there, does it belong to any one of them.
No one claimed it, my analytical brain started ticking and I smelt some foul play. The old couple said that a young person in a blue t-shirt kept it there and left. It was only like 10 minutes to the start and I decided 2 be a "HERO" as a pretty girl was sitting next 2 the bag.
I with all my courage, opened the bag a little and saw a large tiffin box, this was the last straw,all the bomb blasts of Hyderabad, Mumbai and the recent one at Pune played in my mind. I took my bag and left the compartment and complained to the RPF(Railway Protection Force). The Officer was more brave than me and he asked me to get the bag out, which I firmly refused.
The officer did not dare to even touch the damn bag and he kept the bag at where he was. Rest of the people in my compartment came out along with me. Suddenly I was having a sense of elation and also bit of worry in my mind, what is going to happen.
I would be a hypocrite if I say that I was not scared. I was shit scared but did not let that emotion over power me. I was telling to myself that I am doing my duty as a citizen of India.
The pretty girl in the compartment, came to me and asked "what should we do now?" Do all the pretty girls are so dumb. How in the hell would I know what should we do. Did she expect me to open the bag and diffuse the bomb. I always like to impress girls but not by keeping my life on the line.
I asked her to board in next compartment, and added a rider that there is no guarentee that there would not be another bag like this in the other compartment. She was like dead scared and started to tow me every where.
Till that time the bag was not evacuated from the compartment. So much for the efficiency of Police force in India. I thought that they would start evacuating and the train would get late and all, but it was not happening.
There were only 5 minutes left for the train to leave and no sight of the owner of the bag. People in my compartment left for other places. Then one brave police took the bag on to the platform.
I could hear a voice in my head that run buddy run,,, no need to be a hero, u can get a nice girl if u'll live not if you are dead. Some RPF men gathered near the bag, but they did not dare to open it. I thought what the hell, would they be calling a bomb disposal squad or what.
Then suddenly there was an announcement that the train was ready to leave the platform, I boarded the train and felt that if it would go off, it should go off now.
Then the train chugging along and the bag was left on the platform.
Out of no where the owner of the bag came asked where his bag was, we told him that it was on the platform. He went to the door and luckily the police personnel gave it to him while the train is on the run.
I breathed a sigh of relief that it was not what I thought it was. The person who left his bag, told us that he said to the old couple to look after the bag and he also added that he told them that there were no bombs in the bag :P
I was like completely pissed off with the attitude of the person in question. He was an educated person and he was shouting at us for taking his bag out. We told him that it was a necessary precaution, to avert a greater danger but then also he was like drooling on. I stepped up and told him that why didn't he even bother to check whether his luggage is alright or not for 30 minutes. He became silent and started blaming the old couple.
Our country needs to be more vigilant in these turbulent times and the attitude of people should improve. Until this happens we would see more of 26/11, Pune blasts etc.
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